Dear Colleagues in Ministry:
 
Even though it has been many years since my life was governed by an academic calendar, I still find early September to be one of the most exciting times of the year.  While summer is ending, everything else seems new.  Early September is also the beginning of the church program year.  While 2021 will be different than previous years (as was 2020) I pray that our churches and their members will embrace the new possibilities for ministry in these difficult but hopeful times.  Blessings now and always.

Rev. Dr. Michael Ciba, Area Conference Leader, Southwest Region

SNE Women's Connection Outdoor Fall Gathering Saturday, September 18, 2021 at First Congregational Church of Canterbury, CT (rain date Saturday 9/25/21). The program will feature Susan Schonenberger from the Hartford Seminary as the main speaker.  There will be a group activity, lunch and a worship service as well as the Recognized Women Awards.  Registration information can be accessed by downloading this registration form.

Does your Association have events or news that can benefit from being shared - Meetings, Ecclesiastical Councils, Ordinations, etc?  This newsletter space is just waiting to be populated by your activity!  Please share your events and news with Jill Ford, Program Support Associate (fordj@sneucc.org) to be included in future bi-monthly publications.

The Southwest Region of the Southern New England Conference is comprised of:

• Fairfield East Association
• Fairfield West Association
• Litchfield South Association
• Naugatuck Valley Association
• New Haven Association
• New Haven East Consociation

A Labor Day Prayer by Emma Brewer-Wallin, Minister for Environmental and Economic Justice.  Churches are welcome to use this prayer as part of their Labor Day service (Sept. 5) O God of Labor and God of Rest, we turn to you this Labor Sunday. We remember that you bring people out of slavery and call us to sabbath rest. We remember that you call those in power to compensate workers well and to give them rest. Read more ...

The Center for Transformational Leadership, with generous financial support from the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance of the Pension Boards-UCC, is offering a New Affinity Group for Newly or Nearly Retired Clergy of the SNE Conference. The Season of Jubilee Affinity Group will be a cohort of up to 15 members and will meet a total of 6 times over the course of 12 months. For more information, including a link to register, download this program flyer. The registration deadline is 9/20/21!

Becoming More Racially Conscious:  A Learning Journey for White Ministers with Dr. Diane Schmitz, MDiv. Together We Thrive is offering this Affinity Group which begins this Fall. These cohort-based sessions create a trusting and confidential environment where white ministers can deepen their understanding of how race shows up at the personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural levels and how they are called to recognize and interrupt racism within their congregations and beyond.  To register for this group, or to learn more about other groups being offered this fall, visit: www.togetherwethrivegrant.org/affinity-groups Training for UCC Churches: Serving Afghan Refugees September 11, 2021, 5:00-6:30pm This hour and a half training builds on the new toolkit Welcoming and Advocating for Afghan SIVs and Other Afghan Refugees (“SIV”) and Other Afghan Refugees, tailored for UCC congregations that want to engage effectively in support for Afghan SIVs and other Afghan refugees being resettled to the United States.  Use this link to register for this webinar. Boundary Awareness Training 2.0 - Online  Now open for registration.  BAT 2.0 Online (Refresher) is a course for those who have completed at least one boundary training offering in the past. It includes a review of the power and responsibility of ministerial relationships, particularly sexualized behavior in ministerial relationships, a review of the UCC Ministerial Code, and an in-depth conversation about confidentiality. This program takes place on November 2, from 8:30 to 11:30.  Registration is limited to 50 participants.  Information, including a registration link, can be found here.

Faith Formation Summit: Relationship, Resilience, and Re-Entry

September 18, 2021, 9am to 1pm.  Grow your adaptive leadership skills!  Click here for more information.

Updated regularly, click here to find classified adds on our website.

The Rev. Leonard George Clough, who held standing in the Central CT Association, died on August 25 in West Hartford, Connecticut at the age of 101.  Click here to read the full obituary on the Southern New England Conference website.

Other SNE Conference obituaries can be found here.
 

 A full list of recent pastoral transitions can be found here.

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