When: Sat Aug 28, 2010

Event Status: confirmed

When: Thu Aug 26, 2010

Event Status: confirmed

In response to novelist Anne Rice's public denouncement of Christianity on Facebook, the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black offered words of support and understanding for the acclaimed author, saying her commitment to following Christ with authenticity is admirable and reflects the faith journey taken by many who have found a spiritual home in the 1.1-million-member United Church of Christ.

A diverse group of Christians will gather in Chicago August 9-11 to talk about the language people use to talk about God and faith.

The Korean Partnership Committee of the Connecticut Conference and the Kyungki Presbytery sponsor Sacred Journey 2010, a summer exchange trip to South Korea for youth grade 9-12. The trip left July 28 and will return on August 12. The Connecticut Conference maintains an ecumenical partnership with the Kyung-Ki Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in South Korea. The relationship between these two church bodies began in 1992 for the purpose of strengthening faith and understanding and serving Jesus Christ. An exchange for youth occurs every 2 years. This year’s trip is being led by committee co-chair Irene Choi, and Brian Sears from First Church in Glastonbury. The delegates are participating in a youth camp with other children from partner churches in Korea, touring a folk village demonstrating traditional Korean living in much the same way CT’s Sturbridge Village retains our early heritage, and visit the Gyeongbok Palace, home of the Joseon Dynasty rulers of ancient Korea.

Responding to a United State District Court judge's injunction against implementing certain parts of Arizona's new immigration law S.B. 1070, United Church of Christ leaders issued a statement in support of the ruling.

Story: (Continued from July 28, 2010) Parishioners and pastors from Olivet Church, played practical jokes on each other, drenched each other with water, sang and danced. It was a time for clergy and people to tell jokes and to have fun. The custom of Easter Monday and Bright Sunday celebrations were rooted in the musings of early church theologians like Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom, that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. Easter was "God's supreme joke played on death." The early theologians called it "Risus paschalis - the Easter laugh.” So the people in Bridgeport resurrected (every pun intended) this ancient custom. Say, did you hear the one about the woman who went to the Post Office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards? “What denomination?” the clerk asked. “Oh, good heavens! Have we come to this?” quipped the woman. “Well, give me 50 Catholic and 50 Baptist ones.”

Holy Humor Sunday “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 “Come and join us for some belly jiggling laughs on Holy Humor Sunday, April 11 at 10:00 am.”, stated the newsletter from Olivet Congregational Church in Bridgeport, CT. Holy Humor Sunday has its roots in history. For centuries, in Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant countries, Easter Monday and “Bright Sunday” or the Sunday after Easter, were observed by the faithful as “days of joy and laughter” with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. This is certainly a fun way to live a life of prayer. (Continued on July 29, 2010)

Aiming to help churches manage their permanent assets more effectively, United Church Funds will hold its first-ever National Investor Conference, “Investing Responsibly in Uncertain Times,” Oct. 22 and 23 in Chicago.

(Continued from July 26, 2010) During the Leadership Now program, young people had an opportunity to lead and use their gifts and skills for ministry as the tackled the topics of U.S. health care reform and why it’s so difficult; women’s issues and activism, particularly related to health care; and HIV/AIDS and how the church deals with it. Workshops also included “The Sex Industry & the Women of Thailand,” “No More Deaths: Issues on the U.S./Mexico Border,” and Evangelism: What Is IT and How Do We Do It?” “Energizing.” “Inspiring.” “Educational.” These are words that the participants use to sum up the experience. LTS strives to engage every generation in theological exploration and faith formation, building up leaders in church and society. The Leadership Now Justice Summit is one opportunity to see that ministry and mission in action.

As many people were recovering from New Year’s Eve celebrations and festivities or preparing to indulge in another January 1st meal of pork and sauerkraut (A Pennsylvania tradition), 40 high school and college-age youth gathered at Lancaster Theological Seminary (LTS), along with Leadership Now staff and mentors, for a weekend devoted to exploring issues of justice and faith. The subject matter of the event was both timely and challenging, emphasizing health care in the U.S. and around the globe. Workshops were led by “graduates” of the Leadership Now program – a step in fulfilling the program’s long range goal of providing more leadership opportunities to participants – as well as LTS faculty and alumni/ae. (Continued on July 27, 2010)

When: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:30pm to 7:30pm  EDT

Event Status: confirmed

Ask the Question “What am I going to do with my life? How can I make a difference? For what purpose was I created?” Maybe these are questions most of us ask at one time or another in our lives. For some, they are questions that lead to wondering about a “vocation”—a call to serve God through ministry in the church. In the United Church of Christ, we have a special website designed for anyone who wonders whether ministry is for them. Even if you’re just curious, you might want to check out www.askthequestion.org. It’s a site to help people on their journey of exploration. There are video testimonies from others who have asked themselves the question, resources for prayer and study, and an online forum about church vocations. In February, we celebrate Church Vocations Sunday. Maybe someone you know would make a wonderful pastor . . . maybe you are someone who has wondered about answering God’s call in your life. Go to askthequestion.org and explore. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

(Continued from July 23, 2010) The days were be spent by Bridgewater’s youth by working in food kitchens, homeless shelters, thrift stores, gardening, cleaning playgrounds, painting, etc. The work camp was led by full-time volunteer and other members of the Old First congregation. The evenings were free for sight-seeing and entertainment options. The "missionaries" from Bridgewater church stayed in the Parish House of the Old First Reformed Church. As in previous years, we hoped members of the congregation would contribute food and supplies for the weeklong stay, and they did. Back on My Feet’s MISSION: Teaching literacy to kids, serving meals to the homeless and urban poor, helping at a recovery program in the poorest neighborhoods. Bridgewater’s MISSION: To send their kids with food and supplies for the week; to provide meals they’ll served at a soup kitchen; to help with financial support to make this mission possible.

Returning today from a mission trip this summer to the Old First Reformed Church in Philadelphia is the youth group from Bridgewater Congregational Church, Bridgewater CT. This was the fourth year that their high school youth group have spent a week at this same mission site, and it was a rewarding, unforgettable week for each of them. This year they departed on July 18th and return on July 23rd, to participate in "Back on My Feet," an organization that promotes running and walking events for the homeless in Philly. There was a huge event on July 17th and New Jerusalem Drug Rehab had a team running. They needed help with water stations and registration for the event and the youth were there to help. (Continued on July 24, 2010)

(Continued from July 21, 2010) Here’s some things learned in Wayzata Community Church: 1) giving encourages giving, year end contributions to the church were not negatively impacted, but actually outpaced projections; 2) sharing their resources with those in need resulted in Christmas Eve loose offerings that more than doubled the average of recent years; 3) as Dr. Ross stated, “this is exactly the RIGHT message to be sending at Christmas time. We don’t worship God and seek to follow Christ for our own gain . . . but in gratitude for the gifts God has given us in order to love and serve others. What better way to celebrate Christmas than to give gifts?” All totaled: the “Reach for the Light” special Christmas offering raised nearly $45,000 for the Harbor Light Center that serves individuals and families with food, shelter and treatment.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of General Synod's passage of the Open and Affirming resolution, nearly 140 participants gathered in San Diego, Cal., for the UCC's Coalition for LGBT Concerns Gathering July 14-17.

“Reach for the Light” In November of 2009, the Rev. Dr. John Ross, pastor of Wayzata Community Church in Wayzata, MN, had what he called a really bad idea. He wanted the congregation to take a special offering at Christmas and give it ALL away. The fear that people reported around the idea were threefold: 1) that is would negatively impact the critical year-end giving to the church; 2) that is would diminish the Christmas Eve loose offering (donations in the plates); and 3) that it would send the wrong message as the congregation was wrestling with their own financial challenges. What a joy it is to report, that the congregations fears were unfounded and that faith has proven once again a worthy response. (Continued on July 22, 2010)

Using distinctive practices of faith – such as “Keeping Sabbath” or “Playing and Living Joyfully” – with more than 600 activities in each to spark meaningful conversations, the UCC on July 15 rolled out Faith Practices, a comprehensive set of online resources designed to revolutionize the way congregations equip their members to talk about faith.

What better way to honor the words and work of a tireless social justice advocate than to follow her example and carry on her mission? Violet Groth Vaca, a missionary to Ecuador with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and active in the Ecumenical Foundation for Holistic Development Training and Education (FEDICE), died in February 2009. Her deep love for the people of Ecuador and her commitment to education marked her existence and, thanks to Disciples of Christ members from Fort Worth, Texas under the leadership of Dr. Tim Carson, her mission will live on at a day care center bearing her name in Caluqui. Church members from Austin and Forth Worth helped to build the center, along with Rev. Tim Tutt, Marilyn Cooper, and David Johnson, Violet’s nephew. Scripture tell us that faith without deeds is dead [James 2:26]. Faith and deeds, word and work, are alive in Ecuador.