Dear Northwest Region,
 
I just came from the brown bag virtual luncheon on small churches that Litchfield North Association hosted for the Northwest Region. It was a wide-ranging conversation, covering the obstacles and gifts that small church life and ministry represents. I appreciated in particular presenter Rev. Liz Magill’s measure of vitality (and I paraphrase):
 
Does the church spread the Good News in its town? Is it important to the community of which it is a part?
 
This gives a whole different measure of how healthy and vital a church is. It is then less about endowment size or numbers of people in the pews (or on zoom or social media), and more about how connected a church is with the needs of its community.
 
Some folks wanted to celebrate small churches’ nimble ability to respond to local needs. Rev. Liz Goodman, pastor of both Church on the Hill in Lenox and Monterey UCC, told a story about how her church, at the close of the last school year, wrote handwritten thank you notes to the teachers, and how meaningful it was to those who received them.
 
Those churches who are in search and in the interim process will know that the guiding questions for writing the local church profile are:
 
Who are you now?
Who is your neighbor?
Who is God calling you to become?
 
The order of these questions implies that you cannot answer the last question without knowing the answers to the first two. Vitality means quitting our tents and going out to where the people are and listening for how we can be in relationship and of service. (And, Rev. Magill said, if you’re small, pick one thing and do it well!) It means less hand-wringing about shrinking resources and attendance numbers, and more consideration of the needs of our communities.
 
Some churches are, admittedly, on the brink of closing or too mired in conflict to begin to be able to look outward. Those churches may need some help in discernment, and I am available as a conversation partner in those instances.
 
Yet the presentation today reminded us that churches that are small, but stable, can still be a beacon for Christ’s light—one that is much needed in this time.
 
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
 
…”You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
 
So be reminded, Northwest region, that you are salt and light. And to the best of your ability, share those gifts with those who vitally need you—no matter how small you feel, for you are needed, loved, blessed, and commissioned.

 
Blessings,
Rev. Terry Yasuko Ogawa
Area Conference Minister, NW Region
ogawaty@sneucc.org
508-782-8593

With the uncertainty of Covid,
the October Super Saturday will again be virtual. 
Our priority is the safety of our attendees.

Super Saturday Registration is Now Open!
Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM?
Register Early

Join us for Super Saturday on October 2, 2021 featuring Dr. Monica Coleman.   Super Saturday is filled with a variety of virtual workshops, marketplace and networking.
This October, we will be offering some 1 Hour workshops and a few 1 Hour Midday workshops in addition to our standard 1.5 hours and extended workshops for those who want to be busy all day.  Sign up for as many or as few as you like.

Tech Deacons Meetups -
morning and evening options.

You are invited to join Rev. Eric Elley, Digital Minister, and other local church colleagues for weekly Tech Deacons Roundtable Discussions. 
Every other Tuesday at 11am (7/13, 7/27...), and alternate Tuesday evenings at 7pm (7/6, 7/20...)  Click here to find more information and ways to register for these ongoing discussions on the ever evolving landscape of digital ministry in the Southern New England Conference.

“Using Musical Chant to Deepen the Worship Experience”
with Cathy Schane-Lydon
September 13, 20, 27 and October 4; 7pm
at the Canaan Congregational Church 

Knitting as Spiritual Practice with Tempe Croke and Pastor Patty Fox
October 14, 21, 28 and November 4; 1:30pm to 3pm 
at the Canaan Congregational Church

Grief Work through Collaging with Cheryl Hutto and Janice Shields November 2021 (dates TBD) at the West Stockbridge Congregational Church Creating a Personal Shrine/Spirit House with Jude Harrigan January 2022 (dates TBD) at the West Stockbridge Congregational Church  FLYER TO SHARE

Faith Formation Summit
 
For more information, contact Debby Kirk, Faith Formation Team Leader

SNEUCC Faith Formation Summit: Relationship, Resilience, and Re-Entry from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday September 18, 2021. Grow your adaptive leadership skills!  Free for all FF CoP Facilitators!

The Southern New England Conference engages in Outdoor & Retreat Ministry with the following sites:

Edwards House Meeting & Retreat Center, Framingham, MA
Edwards House offers fully-equipped meeting space for working gatherings both large and small as well as a warm, intimate setting for small overnight retreats.
Irons Homestead, Glocester, RI
Nestled in the northwest corner of Rhode Island and where you can still see the stars at night, Irons Homestead offers religious and educational groups a sacred space to lean into nature and connect more deeply with God and one another.
Pilgrim Day Camp, Framingham, MA
This is a traditional summer day camp with over 50 years of experience in providing children safe, summer fun.  PDC is located on 113 acres of sprawling fields and woods at the SNEUCC Framingham property. The camp ensures fun, and emphasizes a warm welcome for each child, care for the natural world, and respect for the differences among us.
Silver Lake Conference Center, Sharon, CT.
With more than 60 acres of wooded land on lakeside shores, Silver Lake offers many opportunities for young people to take risks and try new things with the support of an intentional Christian community.   

Please click here to view all of the SNEUCC Transitions.

September Anniversaries

45 Years
The Rev. Dr. Donald Paine

15 Years
The Rev. Liza Neal

10 Years
The Rev. Ute Schmidt

Please contact Deb Holmes if we have missed your anniversary. 
Anniversaries are listed from 5 years and forward in increments of 5.

The Rev. Leonard George Clough died on August 25 in West Hartford, Connecticut at the age of 101. Len was born in Somersworth, NH on February 12, 1920 to Arthur E. and Helen Piper Clough. He attended school in Orrington and Brewer, ME, and graduated with honors from Bates College in 1940 and the Yale Divinity School in 1943. He lived most of his life in New England with several years in New Jersey and Geneva, Switzerland. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Vincent Funeral Homes and a memorial service will be held on September 18, Noon, at the First Church of Christ Congregational, 12 S. Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107. In lieu of flowers, donations in Len’s memory may be made to Bates College. Please visit Len’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes. Please click here to read more. The Rev. William Henry West, of Old Saybrook, died peacefully at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, on Thursday, August 26, after a long and valiant struggle with cancer.  Rev. West was predeceased by his parents and his wife, Margaret.  He is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth, and grandsons, Theo and Quinten Ewasko of Newtown, CT; and his brother, Robert, and sister-in-law Gail of Farmington, CT.  A service in his memory will be held at the First Congregational Church, 1 Church Street, Deep River, CT 06417, on September 25, at 1 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the following organizations were near and dear to Bill’s heart. Donations can be sent to: Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital’s Closer to Free Program, at yalecancercenter.org/gifts, or mail to Office of Development, PO Box 1849, New Haven CT 06508; First Church Congregational in Deep River, at deeprivercc.org, or mail to DRCC, PO Box 246, Deep River CT 06417; or Dylan’s Wings of Change “Wingman Program,” at dylanswingsofchange.org/donate, or mail to Dylan’s Wings of Change PO Box 3489, Newtown CT 06470. Please click here to read more.

Organist/Choir Accompanist - Ashfield, MA

Handbells for sale - Ludlow, MA

Pilgrim Hymnals - Northampton

Please click here to view all of the SNEUCC Classifieds.