Good people, 

I thought for sure that September would feel different as your Area Conference Minster.
 
In the local church I knew that September was an unbelievably busy time. Sometimes I could plan and prepare for it, but most of the time I let it come like a wave and held my ground. To be sure: There were many wonderful things about the busyness of the fall – chief among those the excitement of welcoming folks back to church after our unofficial New England Summer Church Break. (And, of course, there was always the worry “Will they actually come back this time?”)

It didn’t prove to be too different as your ACM.
 
September is still an incredibly full month for me – as I know it is for you. And, maybe more than ever, we’re all wondering “Will they come back?” It’s easy for us to get swept up in it all, rolling down a metaphorical hill until we arrive at the end of Advent, exhausted.
 
But that’s not what God asks of us. It’s not what a tired, worried, and hurt people need. It’s not what will sustain us in our collective ministry.
 
So, amid another Fall and continuing COVID concerns, I pray you remember that your worth is not defined by how much you do. That you remember the people whom you serve already have overflowing, hard-to-manage lives, and do not need more programs with which to fill their hours. That you remember and notice your breath and help connect others to theirs.
 
I’m praying for you this season, as always.

 -Alex
 
Rev. Alex Shea Will
Area Conference Minister
Northeast Region (Metropolitan Boston and Northeast Associations)
 
Rev. Shea Will can be reached at sheawilla@sneucc.org or call/text: 508-244-4769.  

ACM Availability Siblings in Christ: Thank you for the invitations to worship with you! I’m currently scheduled through February 2023, and I’d love to continue scheduling for 2023. I am eager to visit with each of you, join you for life together, and even preach if you would like. Please reach out and let me know a few options of what might work for you and your congregation.     Regardless of whether you’ve yet to meet in person, or have been meeting in person for months, we are all dealing with the ramifications of this pandemic in one way or another. I am praying for each of you and our congregations as you navigate how best to love, care for, and be present with one another. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Association Events Metropolitan Boston Association Installation - Rev. Dr. Aaron Shepherd, Union Congregational Church, UCC, Sept. 25, 2022 at 3:00pm in person and livestreamed Installation - Rev. Emelia Attridge, First Congregational Church, UCC of Reading, Nov. 6, 2022 at 3:00pm in person and livestreamed Chapel in the Pines, A Wild Church Worship Service, Third Sunday of the Month at 3pm, McKinnon Park, Wellesley. More information. Northeast Association Ecclesiastical Council, Renee Manning, South Church in Andover, UCC,  Oct. 11, 2022 at 7:00pm in person and livestreamed October is Pumpkin Patch month at West Gloucester Trinitarian Congregational Church, 488 Essex Ave., Gloucester, MA - click here to check out the happenings.    Conference and Partner Events Clergy Revivals  October 25, 7pm in Milton, MA & October 27, 7pm in Hartford, CT Collectively we have been through some turbulent times, struggling to get a firm footing in what seems like constantly shifting sand. These revivals are a place for Authorized Ministers to lay down all that God is longing to unburden from us, and let our spirit be lifted through word, song, prayer, and ritual. The Rev. Yvette Flunder, Presiding Bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries and SNEUCC Theologian-in-Virtual-Residence will be the guest preacher. Details and registration are here.  Rev. Chris Davies Called as Executive Minister for Programs and Initiatives The Rev. Dr. Chris S. Davies has been selected as the new Executive Minister for Programs and Initiatives for the Southern New England Conference effective November 1,  2022.  Davies, an ordained UCC minister who has Connecticut roots, and has served at the UCC's national setting as the Team Leader of Faith Education, Innovation, and Formation, Justice and Local Church Ministries, will report directly to Executive Conference Minister The Rev. Darrell Goodwin.  Read more here.  Elizabeth Garrigan-Byerly Promoted to Executive Minister for Area Conference Ministry Rev. Elizabeth Garrigan-Byerly has been promoted to the role of Executive Minister for Area Conference Ministry beginning November 1, 2022. She has served as the Area Conference Minister (ACM) for the North Central Region since January, 2021, assisting approximately 103 churches in the Central MA and Windham Associations.  Read more here. Registration Now Open for 2022 SNEUCC Justice Summit! Saturday, September 24, 2022, 9 AM - 4:30 PM  First Church of Christ, Congregational in Glastonbury, CT  The 2022 Justice Summit is a one-day event hosted by the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ to inform, engage, and offer opportunities for connection among people interested in issues of social justice.  This year's Justice Summit will focus on racial justice.

For Such a Time: To Confront, Connect, and Create at the Intersection of Race and Gender A Clergywomen’s* Leadership Event of the Antoinette Brown Society

The UCC Clergywomen’s Leadership Event has been postponed at least twice during the pandemic, and we are excited to be offering the event this September 27-29 in Decatur, GA. “For Such a Time: To Confront, Connect, and Create at the Intersection of Race and Gender” is open to authorized clergywomen* in the United Church of Christ.  Registration is now open for the in-person and online gathering.  Early bird discounted registration ends July 1. (* This invitation is expansive to include all cis and trans women as well as non-binary people comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.)

Quarterly Racial Justice Training for all:
October 22, 2022

Both clergy and lay people are welcome to join us for this 3-1/2 hour, on-line racial justice training facilitated by Rev. James D. Ross II, Minister for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 
This session will take place:
October 22: 8:30AM -12:00PM
 
Sessions are being offered via Zoom. The cost to attend is $10. Scholarships are available; contact Karen Methot.  Please click here to register.

Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry

An Evening with Diana Butler Bass Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 8:00 PM, via Zoom Save the date!  The Barnstable, Old Colony, Pilgrim and Rhode Island Associations (Southeast Region) are inviting everyone in the SNEUCC to an evening with Diana Butler Bass.  Come discover the new and unfolding biblical scholarship about Mary Magdalene!  Diana will share with us this revelatory material that captures the imagination.  She will unpack texts that are familiar to all of us and open the door to interpretations and scholarship that have just recently been discovered.  Mary Magdalene might better be known as Mary the Tower. More information and to register, click here.

Now accepting applications for our Fall Social Justice Internship for High School Students entering 10th, 11th & 12th grade!   This paid internship is for high school students entering 10th, 11th and 12th grade committed to social justice and with an interest in gaining work experience in a small nonprofit that works on social justice issues.   The program includes learning activities to foster a deeper understanding of social justice and City Mission’s commitment to educate, empower and engage our community. Learn more and submit your application here.   Becoming WISE - mhn-ucc.org What is a WISE Congregation? A WISE congregation has joined the mission to being Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged in the Mental Health of the community and the wider world. Learn more here:  www.mhn-ucc.org.   October is Clergy Appreciation Month   Listen to this 3-minute video where Rev. Darrell Goodwin thanks the Authorized Ministers and Ministers in Discernment for their work and talks about upcoming events for Clergy Appreciation Month. The Southern New England Conference is blessed with over 1400 Authorized Minister and a host of MID's. We are grateful for their service to the faithful and want to find ways to invest in our pastor leaders this October for Clergy Appreciation Month.  Read more here.  Racial Justice Advocate part-time position available The Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ (SNEUCC), has a part-time opportunity for a Racial Justice Advocate. This position is funded for a maximum of two years.  The Racial Justice Advocate engages and supports local congregations, Conference staff and volunteers to enhance racial equity in all settings of the UCC and surrounding communities.  Learn more here.  Conference Launches Justice Leadership Program If you feel called to work for justice or are eager to integrate faith and justice work into your life in meaningful and transformative ways, apply now for the Southern New England cohort of the Jubilee program, which will launch this fall. Read more about this program here.            SNEUCC CONFIRMATION RETREATS '22 - '23 Register your group for a facilitated retreat in 2022-2023! Chose from seven dates and three great locations. Lunch and Learn for Leaders 2022-2023 is a monthly series hosted by the Center for Transformational Leadership. Every third Thursday, join us at noon for an hour-long session of learning and discussion. Each month we will offer a bite-size opportunity to learn valuable concepts and practices from a subject expert. Our wide-ranging topics are relevant to areas of mission and ministry that you, our authorized ministers and lay leaders, have indicated are timely for your congregations. October 20 - Coaching Services: Are you or your church envisioning something new?  Session Presenter: Rev. Heather Ramsey Mabrouk, Director for the Center for Transformational Leadership and Program Director for Together We Thrive, an ecumenical initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment. November 17 - Introduction to Christian Contemplative Practices: What does “contemplation” mean?  Session Presenter: Rev. Matt Carriker, Agape Spiritual Community

Pastors are uniquely positioned to help people contemplating suicide By offering honest talk, a sense of belonging and hope, clergy can help prevent suicides. New research and resources debunk assumptions and point to actions that address this growing problem. from:  faithandleadership.com

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The PATHWAYS Theological Education Board of Directors invites all questioning, curious people of faith
to join us for our 6-week courses beginning Fall I (mid-August) and Fall II (beginning late September) (see website for details and registration links). The 12-week UCC Polity course runs three times a year beginning September 7, January 11 and May 17.
Enroll now at PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc.

 

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

Edwards House Meeting & Retreat Center, Framingham, MA 

Irons Homestead, Glocester, RI

Pilgrim Day Camp, Framingham, MA

Silver Lake Conference Center, Sharon, CT 

September Anniversaries

25 Years

Rev. Judy Arnold, Sept. 28, 1997

10 Years

Rev. Amanda Harmeling, Sept. 23, 2012

Rev. Judy Bryant, Sept. 30, 2012

5 Years

Rev. Ken McGarry, Sept. 30, 2017

Rev. Amy Norton, Sept. 30, 2017

Please contact Lynn Varney if we have missed your anniversary.  Anniversaries are listed from 5 years and forward in increments of 5.  If your church is celebrating a milestone anniversary, please let us know so that the Northeast Region can celebrate with you!

You are doing great ministry! Let us help make sure others know about it. Tell us about your stories, news and event information. Don’t be modest!  We’re waiting to hear from you. Email Lynn at varneyl@sneucc.org.

Do we have your church leaders listed correctly?