| Quick Links for February 2023 |
|
by Debbie Gline Allen
I just finished reading Dr. Lisa Miller’s most recent book, The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life, and I’ll warn you up front — I am even more convinced that we need to include young children in as much of the life of the congregation as possible. Please hear me out:
I read her first book, The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving, several years ago and it changed the focus of my ministry. This new book, written in 2021, provides updates on her research into the profound effect spirituality has on mental health.
Read more here! (3 min. read)
by Debby Kirk
Youth ministry can be an uphill battle, especially for small churches which have only a handful of youth. COVID-19 presented challenges of connection and continuity that caused many churches to rethink their approach. One hopeful solution for creating larger groups is the shift to collaborative ministry.
Rev. Jack Davidson, pastor at Spring Glen UCC in Hamden, CT convened a virtual meeting of clergy and youth leaders in late January to discuss various models for multi-church youth ministry. The meeting was a forum to share successes, struggles, and creative ideas for programming.
Read more here! (5 min.)
| February Staff Recommendations |
Per Debbie Gline Allen, "this is one of the most helpful articles I've come across for creating a culture of intergenerationality in your congregation."
Recently updated by Debbie Gline Allen, SNEUCC's Lent & Easter Resources for Children, Families, & Children's Ministries webpage has some helpful guidance for your faith formation work this season.
BuildFaith's Black History Month
Resources for 2023
A ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary, BuildFaith has curated a deep and wide resource list - including books, webpages, and podcasts - for teaching Black history through a theologically anti-racist lense.
Young Voices: 'Love' the overall winner in
Climate Hope Cards youth art project
Violet, a 12-year old congregant from Wellesley Village Church in Wellesley, MA, was chosen as a winner for the Ages 10-13 category of the UCC Environmental Justice Ministries' Climate Hope Cards project.
Bravo, Violet!
Look for more helpful materials, curated links, and Faith Formation news under Make Disciples on www.sneucc.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Enrichment for Faith Formation Leaders |
SNEUCC's Faith Formation Leadership Program is for anyone with a passion for faith formation and youth ministries - both lay leaders and authorized ministers. Our classes are interactive Zoom sessions that are not recorded for distribution, and the registration deadline is two days before each interactive session. Register for all eight classes required to receive certification and receive a $25 refund!
Upcoming Classes:
Visit sneucc.org/certification for more information and how to register!
"Completing this program allows me to be more of a peer and a colleague with my pastor and our church staff, giving me the confidence to be a true member of the team."
- Andrea Terni Bullard, Faith Formation Director
Barrington Congregational Church, Barrington, RI
February 28th, 2023
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Join SNEUCC's Faith Formation Team for a Zoom-based book study of a seminal 20th century theology text, A Black Theology of Liberation, by the esteemed James H. Cone. The hour-long session will include an overview of the text's themes and subject matter through the use of discussion and media. Bible study groups, Racial Justice committees, and participants beyond Southern New England are welcome to take part!
Please note: participants are suggested to have read or listened to the full work (available in physical form via Orbis Books or audiobook form via Audible) prior to this one-session book study.
Register here! (Zoom)
Weekly on Wednesdays from
March 1st, 2023 to March 29th, 2023
9:00am to 10:00am
All are welcome to join a virtual devotional time on five Wednesday mornings during Lent. Clergy, faith formation leaders, and lay leaders are invited to participate. The SNEUCC Faith Formation Team will lead the sessions of prayer, reflection, and music which are 45 minutes in length.
Register here! (Zoom)
For a complete listing of SNEUCC events, please see our calendar.
SNEUCC Confirmation Retreats 2022-2023
 
Register your group for a facilitated Confirmation Retreat in 2022-2023! Chose from four dates and two great locations.
Click here for more information about the 2023 retreat season!
Friday, June 30th, 2023
to July 5th, 2023
Teens from all over the country will participate in worship, attend plenary sessions and hearings, and observe the resolution process in action. Youth @ Synod is a wonderful opportunity to engage in justice issues and nurture advocacy skills.
The Southern New England Conference is sponsoring a trip to Youth @ Synod for young leaders ages 14 to 18 who want to connect with other teens and experience the vibrant diversity of the wider church.
Click here to fill out the Youth @ Synod interest form!
 Our Whole Lives (OWL)
Info Session
February 14th, 2023
2:00pm to 3:00pm
Join us for an OWL informational session with Amy Johnson, UCC Minister for Sexuality Education. Amy will share updates on OWL curricula and other resources for leaders and parents. SNEUCC Facilitator training dates will also be announced.
This program will be offered on Zoom. Please register in advance to receive the meeting link!
OWL Taking Flight - Child Safety and Mandatory Reporting:
Advice from a Pediatrician
March 1st, 2023
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Dr. Verena Brown, pediatrician and educator who specializes in cases of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, will join us for a discussion about child abuse and mandatory reporting. Dr. Brown is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee of the Council on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Register here! (Zoom)
OWL Faith and Sexuality Programs Survey
Take this short OWL survey to help us know if you are currently offering programs, interested in future training sessions, or are planning to offer OWL classes in your area!
SAVE THE DATE!
Fourth Annual Meeting: "Roll Away the Stone"
Saturday, June 17th, 2023
at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA
Your congregation may be one of the many SNEUCC churches that will soon be adopting their 2023 Mission Plan (aka Budget) articulating how they anticipate using God’s resources under their stewardship to both show forth and embody the Light of Christ in the coming year.
We know that an important part of that process is determining your church’s contribution to Proportional Giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission (PG to OCWM). To aid congregations in understanding the impact of those contributions, we have developed a video (on the bottom of this page and available for download here and infographic (on this page and here).
Read more here!
|
|
|
|
February 11th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
1 Church Street, Upton, MA
Join us on Saturday February 11th for Love is LOVE at The United Parish of Upton, a third gallery opening of the stunning LGBTQ+ photos taken by All Things Sparkley Photography by Chelsea Bradway. This one-night fundraiser will benefit both Southborough Safe Spaces and the Worcester LGBT Asylum Task Force.
Make us a part of your Valentine’s Day date night and celebrate the beauty and strength of our LGBTQ+ community. Refreshments will be served, stories will be shared, and love will be felt.
Learn more here!
Practical Resources for Churches (PRC) has excellent resources for faith formation. PRC has archived materials on their website and offer live webinars most every week. SNEUCC underwrites PRC, so these programs are available to our congregations for free! Look for them on our conference events calendar! Below are links to an upcoming online event that may be of interest to individuals engaged with faith formation work.
Saturday, March 25th, 2023 - 9:00am to 3:00pm
409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
In a retreat-like atmosphere, author, youth worker, and community activist Mark Yaconelli will invite participants to recover the pure medicines of Christian formation: silence, story, and service.
Click here to learn more, or click here to register!
March 17th, 2023
to March 19th, 2023
DoubleTree by Hilton
Manchester, NH
Every four years in the spring, women from congregations across New England come together to learn, share, worship, and connect at the New England Women’s Celebration. The weekend will include workshops, speakers, worship, music and more. But most importantly, it will be filled with reconnecting with friends, making new ones, and forming connections with other women of faith.
Click here to register!
May 4th, 2022 to May 6th, 2022 (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday)
Pilgrim Pines - Swanzey, NH
The time is finally here! NEAUCE 2023 is in person at beautiful Pilgrim Pines in Swanzey, NH. Registration has opened for the 52nd NEAUCE Conference. Join your fellow colleagues for amazing worship, fellowship, and rich discussions.
This year is all about innovation, and we are listening to new voices from beyond the church walls!
Click here for more information, or click here to register!
*Please note that registration closes on April 19th, 2023.
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023
to Thursday, May 4th, 2023
Join Debbie Gline Allen, Minister of Faith Formation for the Southern New England Conference, and your faith formation and youth ministry colleagues for a 24-hour Pre-NEAUCE Retreat to examine your specific call to ministry.
Click here for more information, including registration information.
*Please note that this is a mult-step registration process; please see specifics on the event page. Space is limited to 10 people.
Lifelong Faith Symposium 2023
May 31st, 2023 - June 1st, 2023
Holy Family Retreat & Conference Center - West Hartford, CT
$390 per person - includes registration fee, meals, and lodging
The Faith for a Lifetime Symposium will explore how every church community can foster the faith of every age and generation - for a lifetime. The two-day Symposium will focus on the "how to" of building a culture of lifelong faith growth in today's world.
Click here to register!
For a complete listing of partner events, please see our calendar.
Is there a new Faith Formation leader in your congregation? Have your church administrator (or whoever handles your church's email account/communications) visit and update the Church Dashboard to make sure that we're connecting with all the current leaders at your church.
As always, feel free to reach out to your Faith Formation staff members - Faith Formation Team Leader Debby Kirk, Minister of Faith Formation Debbie Gline Allen, or Program Support Associate Sean Amato - if you have a question or suggestion in this or any other regards.
