CT Nominees to Together, As One Board Announced
The nominees to serve on the new Together, As One Conference Board of Directors should the new conference be approved at Annual Meeting has been announced. Delegates will be asked to approve those nominations at the Connecticut plenary session being held during the joint
Annual Meeting
June 15 - 16 in Springfield, MA.
A task team has developed a four-page document comparing the ministry expenses of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences in preparation for the vote on forming a new, unified Conference.
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Walk-in Registrations
The deadline for pre-registering for Annual Meeting has passed, but walk-in registrations will be accepted. Walk-ins may not be able to attend a planned luncheon, but there are many restaurant options near the Mass Mutual Center.
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By The Rev. Amy Lignitz Harken is Minister of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church in Mattapoisett, MA
The question tumbled forth and hovered over the empty dinner plates: “How many raviolis can I have?”
I’d just set a steaming vat of ravioli in the middle of the kitchen table. The cat was shooed off a chair; napkins went into laps; a fork clattered to the floor. The usual stuff.
The question came again, louder, in case I missed it the first time. As a newly minted stepmom, it baffled me. How should I know how many raviolis each kid could have? There were five of us and a triple batch of ravioli, plenty for everybody with leftovers for tomorrow. But for those meals that could somehow be counted numerically, the insistence on a fair share — or at least one more than the others — meant there were never leftovers. The boys would make themselves sick first ...
Such is life together.
In the crucible of a collective — be it a family, a village, or a denomination — we learn who we are. We learn what drives us bonkers and what makes us happy, how we are powerful and how we are vulnerable, how we are alike and how we are different. This is to say, in the company of others, we learn what it means to be human. We learn to be an “I” in the midst of the “we.”
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Many Voices, One Mission:
Beyond The Vote
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By
Rev. Ellie Richardson, Associate Conference Minister for Lay and Clergy Leadership Development for the Massachusetts Conference, UCC
As the 2018 Tri-Conference Annual Meeting draws closer, buzz about "the vote" seems to be increasing. Have you heard it? Have you felt it? For some of us this conversation has been going on for what seems forever yet, for others it is fresh and new. One thing is certain though. On June 16th, each of us, as individual conferences, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, will decide whether or not we will pursue a future together, "Living the Love and Justice of Jesus" ...
Perhaps most important in all of this, no matter how the vote goes at Annual Meeting, is that we all need to seriously discern how we relate to each other, not only as Conferences of the United Church of Christ, but as children of God, called upon to further the mission and ministry of Jesus in the world ...
We can talk until the cows come home about structure, process and strategy and get stuck in the weeds missing the fundamental nature of what is truly important in supporting something new.
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Many Voices, One Mission
is a new regular series highlighting the ministries of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences of the United Church of Christ.
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Racial Justice Trainings To Be Held Regionally
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The Connecticut Conference is making a change in method of offering Racial Justice Training. Here, TJ Harper, the Associate for Racial Justice Ministries for the CT and Massachusetts Conference, explains this change and the need for continued efforts to unmask and eradicate racism.
"The Regional Racial Justice Training model is something new, where we are opening the workshop up to community members and accepting a larger number of participants into the program," said TJ Harper, Racial Justice Associate. "Moreover, we have added several small group and individual exercises that will definitely be helpful in terms of learning how others’ perspectives might be able to help you grow and think about things you have not thought about before; and maybe do things that you have not done before."
The next scheduled
Regional Racial Justice Training event
will be held on
July 14 at the First Congregational Church of Essex
.
Registration is open
for the event. Space is limited.
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Clergy Transitions: June 2018
The following ministerial changes were reported to the Connecticut Conference in May 2018:
Rev. Joseph Blotz called as Full Time Pastor at Mansfield.
Rebekah Forni called as settled pastor at Middlefield Federated.
Rev. Hiram Brett was installed as Pastor at Whitneyville.
Rev. Cheryl Caronna was installed as Designated Pastor at Canterbury First.
Rev. Dr. Erica Nierendorf began her term as Bridge Minister at Avon.
Rev. Joan Priest began her term as Interim Pastor at Groton.
Rev. Shawn Fisher began his term as Designated Term Pastor at Bloomfield.
Rev. Richard DenUyl ended his term as Senior Pastor at Greenwich First.
Rev. Dr. Robert Wright, Jr. ended his term as Interim Pastor at Lebanon First.
Rev. Ann Aaberg, most recently pastor at Mystic, retired on April 15.
Rev. Barry Cass, most recently pastor at Somers, retired on May 20.
Rev. Mason Blair Ellison, retired pastor, died on Jan. 28.
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Applications Being Accepted for Three CTUCC Scholarships
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Applications are due July 27 for three Connecticut Conference scholarships.
The
Cynthia Wheeler CARR scholarship
is designed to aid a person of any age intending to further her/his skills in some aspect of sacred music at institutions of higher education.
The
Historic African American Church Scholarship
is for members of the six Historic African American UCC churches in the CT Conference: Amistad UCC, Liberty Christian Center International, Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ of Norwalk, Warburton Community Congregational Church UCC, Faith Congregational Church, or Dixwell Avenue United Church of Christ. Members from these 6 churches, who have graduated from an accredited CT high school and will be attending, or planning to attend in 2018, an accredited college (4 yr. or 2 yr.), are encouraged to apply.
The
Member in Discernment Scholarship
is for Members in Discernment of a CT Conference Association who are, or will be, attending an accredited college or seminary.
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Starting With Scripture:
In But Not Of
By The Rev. Lee Ireland, Interim Pastor at the First Congregational Church of Rowley, MA
I imagine that you are like me, in that you read scripture passages several times and then suddenly, a new insight comes as you read one passage again as happened to me with 1 Sam 8 and 2 Cor 4. They speak to the historical implications of our reality as human beings, being caught up in the ways of this world, the needs of our bodies and the demands of our egos.
Seems history hasn’t changed human hearts much because today we’re seeing the implications of those who are serving in high positions now are caught up in their personal needs with no interest in listening to what God might be saying to them in their souls. As students of Jesus’ teachings, who came specifically to offer the alternative vision and to teach those who would listen, what might we hear today? Paul, who is mindful of his temporal body, was referencing words that Jesus offered as found in John17:16: We are “In this world but not of it.”
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Starting with Scripture
is a weekly devotional written by current and former clergy and church leaders of the Connecticut Conference, UCC. Subscribe to receive the reflection each Monday at:
ctucc.org/subscribe
.
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Upcoming Conference Events
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Leading up to the second Tri-Conference Annual Meeting of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences, Conference leaders will be hosting a series of online forums for discussion about the upcoming votes to formally create a new, unified conference.
Thursday,
June 7
, 7:00 PM
Tuesday,
June 12
, at 7:00 PM
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June 10, 2:00 to 4:00 PM
Immanuel Congregational Church,
Hartford
Interested in learning more about criminal justice reform in Connecticut and how you can get more engaged? Hear from advocates and policy makers, and bring your questions and ideas!
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June 27 - 30
Silver Lake Conference Center, Sharon
Join fellow clergy for reflection, renewal, and worship in the woods.
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July 19 - 22
California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA
The Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Conferences are collaborating to provide bus service to the event, for youth who have completed 6th grade up to 2018 graduates of 12th grade.
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June 10, 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Irons Homestead Camp & Retreat, Glocester, RI
All members and friends of the UCC are invited to enjoy a day at the waterfront. Life guards on duty from 12:30 - 4 PM for boating and swimming; grills will be ready, please bring your own food. The field will be ready for play, the stone throwing area will be open, and there will be volleyball, basketball and lawn games in addition to waterfront fun.
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July 9 - 13
Craigville Retreat Center, Craigville, MA
This year's topic: Building Bridges: Immigrants, Refugees, and the Church. Keynote Speaker: Ms. Linda Hartke, President & CEO, lirs.org, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service.
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