Quick Links for March 2023
The Transformed Congregation

by Debbie Gline Allen

Scientific research is showing that we are all born spiritual beings and that 71% of our spiritual development is influenced by our environment. How might this and other pertinent findings from research transform your congregation?

Read more here! (3 min. read)
 

Initiating OWL: Our Whole Lives

by Debby Kirk

“It is transformative to have a positive, sacred frame for all that sexuality encompasses in our lives.  Children are learning about it all the time, whether we’re in the conversation or not. So why wouldn’t we be?  If we are not, we are abdicating to purity culture and abstinence-only education on the one hand, or we are abdicating to the media on the other.  Either way, it is not a healthy message.  OWL is a way for us to be church and be involved in healthy conversations.”
 
- Rev. Amy Johnson, UCC Minister for Faith and Sexuality

Read more here! (5 min.)

March Staff Recommendations
"... it’s a new year! And, whether or not your church has budgeted money for your continued leadership development, there is still time to ask your boss or board for help becoming an even better leader in 2023. I know because I’ve done it. And you can, too!"

Curriculum Resources
(SNEUCC)

Churches searching for UCC-friendly curriculum materials need look no further. Debbie Gline Allen has created a comparison chart of currently popular curriculum materials. Check out SNEUCC's Curriculum Resources page for this curated material.


Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence
About Mental Illness with Children & Teens

Free Study Guide

(Chalice Press)

Interested in diving deeper into Rev. Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund's Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness with Children & Teens and brainstorming ways of implementing its lessons at your church? Start with this free study guide from Chalice Press, and visit SNEUCC's Youth Ministry Resources page for more ideas.


Faith Formation: Lent & Easter
(The Ministry Lab - United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities)

United Seminary's Ministry Lab has cultivated a wide selection of Lenten and Easter resources including personal devotions, activities for small groups and youth groups, and suggestions for intergenerational ministries. Take a look - and when you're done, take a gander at SNEUCC's own Lent and Easter Resources page.


Women's History Month: Mother God
(Khoa Le, Teresa Kim Pecinovsky)

"Teach your kids that God's love transcends single-gender expression--God is creative, fierce, protective, and her love as a Mother knows no bounds."


Look for more helpful materials, curated links, and Faith Formation news under Make Disciples on www.sneucc.org.

Enrichment for Faith Formation Leaders

Faith Formation Leadership Program

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.

Upcoming Classes:

Visit sneucc.org/certification for more information and how to register!

"My expectations of this program were exceeded! The classes were so deep and thought-provoking, and each one built on the next to provide the background I need to do this ministry effectively and faithfully."
- Lee Carman, Director of Faith Formation
Ellington Congregational Church - Ellington, CT

SNEUCC Events

Lenten Chapel of the Heart

 Weekly on Wednesdays from
March 15th, 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 Youth Programs

 SNEUCC Confirmation Retreats 2022-2023

Register your youth group for a Confirmation Retreat in 2022-2023, led by our experienced retreat facilitators.
Consider taking part in one of these opportunities to grow in faith with your wider Southern New England community!

Click here for more information about the 2023 retreat season!


Environmental Justice Youth Retreat

Saturday, May 6th, 2023
9:00am to 4:00pm

Nature & Neighbors is a day-long environmental justice retreat for youth, which will include exploration of environmental racism and environmental justice; engaging scripture and spiritual practices that inspire and sustain action; and experiencing God’s Creation firsthand at Silver Lake Camps & Retreats, one of the beautiful outdoor ministry sites affiliated with the Southern New England Conference.

Middle and high school groups of any size, or individual youth with an accompanying adult, are welcome to sign up. Program cost is $75 per participant – please contact Emma Brewer-Wallin (brewer-walline@sneucc.org) for sliding scale rates. We want you to participate and cost should not be a barrier!  

Click here to learn more!


Youth @ Synod

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!


Incredible Faith Mission: Boston

Four Sessions (July and August 2023)
Open to youth and intergenerational groups age 14+

Incredible Faith Mission: Boston, facilitated by SNEUCC covenanted partner Incredible Days, will be filled with folks eager to experience a week of mission work in Boston. Participants will stay at the comfortable and accommodating Edwards House, commute into Greater Boston to do daily service projects focused on addressing urban poverty alongside partner organizations, and engage in cultural immersion. Participants will get the chance to both see and learn what poverty in Boston looks like today, and what can be done to help.

Click here to learn more!


Come to Camp! Take the Plunge!

Registrations have opened for Summer 2023


 

Check out all the awesome programs available, and start getting excited for summer! Click here to see what camp sessions are already available.

In addition, the Faith Formation Team has set aside funds to support youth of color who wish to attend camp. For those interest, select the program you wish to attend and then begin your registration; during application, scholarship registration can be made in the application's Document Center.

SNEUCC News

G.R.O.W. TOGETHER Regional Gatherings

We long to be together! Between the pandemic and the development of the new conference, there is longing and need across the Conference for in person reconnection and development of new connections. The purpose of these regional gatherings is to strengthen connection and covenant among our local churches, associations and the conference. All authorized ministers, local church leaders and association volunteers are invited.
 
Southeast Region Gathering Southwest Region Gathering
South Central Region Gathering North Central Region Gathering
Northeast Region Gathering Northwest Region Gathering

 


Conference-Wide Lenten Book Study
on Microaggressions in Ministry

Wednesday, March 29th
12:00pm to 1:30pm

This Conference-Wide Book Study is for people in congregations who want to learn how to be more welcoming, more inclusive, and more attentive to the way God is calling them to accompany ALL people along their spiritual paths at church. Read along with Executive Minister of Programs and Initiatives, Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, by registering today.

Click here to learn more!


SAVE THE DATE!

SNEUCC's Fourth Annual Meeting:
"Roll Away the Stone"

https://www.sneucc.org/files/content/sne/images/logo.png?width=400

Saturday, June 17th, 2023
at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA

Click here to learn more!
Vendors: click here to register!

Partner News & Events

United Church of Christ


 Practical Resources for Churches

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.


Yale Youth Ministry Institute


NEAUCE Annual Conference 2023:
"Beyond the Church Walls: Hearing New Voices"

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.


Discernment Pre-Retreat @ NEAUCE 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. Three future dates at three other locations are also available!

Click here to register!


For a complete listing of partner events, please see our calendar.

SNEUCC Classifieds

Silver Lake is Hiring

Spend the summer at our beautiful outdoor ministry site in Sharon, CT! Choose from one of these camp teams:

  • Camp Family (leadership development program for 16/17 year-olds)
  • Waterfront
  • Adventure Team
  • Kitchen Staff
  • Young Adult Program Specialist
  • Health Center Assistant
  • Resource & Facilities Staff

Can't commit to the entire summer? Consider being a volunteer counselor, dean, chaplain, or artist-in-residence! For more details, please visit Silver Lake's summer employment page or contact Silver Lake Administrator & Registrar Ruth Choate.

Help Us Connect!

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.

 
 

Faith Formation Team:
Debby Kirk, Faith Formation Team Leader - 860-761-7103
Debbie Gline Allen, Minister of Faith Formation - 508-244-4332
Sean Amato, Support Staff - 860-761-7199




This newsletter is made by possible by your church's contributions to Proportional Giving to Our Church's Wider Mission.