North Central Region ENews - November 21, 2022

WORDS FROM YOUR AREA CONFERENCE MINISTER

November 23, 2022

Dear Siblings in Christ,

This is the away message I have set for my email over the holiday weekend and I thought it was worth sharing with you:

The Conference offices are closed until Monday, November 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday. I look forward to returning your message then. If you have an urgent need that cannot wait, please call me at 508-244-4311.

This is both a meaningful and fraught holiday, and we hold both of those in prayer. I pray that the time is full of bounty for you and yours. I pray there is rest, joy, connection and delicious food.

I pray for God's mercy and guidance as I acknowledge that I live and work on Nipmuc land. Over this weekend, I will be reflecting on this section of the Prayer of Confession from the Justice Summit.

We recognize that our spiritual ancestors moved with a sense of Godly permission to claim for their own what they found here – embodying the doctrine of discovery; that in mission for God as they understood it, they also diminished, desecrated, and destroyed the lives, lands, and community ways of the people indigenous to these places.

We acknowledge that our wealth as churches and a conference, and our primacy of physical and cultural space here in New England, comes from this ground of injustices - our taking land and life from the people native to this land.

We name that we, as descendants of New England Congregationalists, have been the heartbeat of white settler culture.

O God, forgive us. Forgive us that it has taken us so long to make these acknowledgements. Forgive us all the times we have been and are silent in the face of injustice and inhumanity. Forgive us for not stepping into the courage to speak and act in the name of your Love. Holy One, help us to take up the work of justice, repentance, and repair that is needed in this and future generations. Help us to live into the collective liberation of your Beloved Community, a realm of justice, mercy, and freedom for all your children. Help us to humble ourselves into the emergence of your Love in communities of prayer, healing, creativity, and justice that are unbinding themselves from the injustices of our past.
In faith,

ACM Search Update

Next week, we plan to announce to you who the next ACMs will be for both the Southwest and the North Central (you!) regions. We are also working on setting up bridge ACM coverage until they can start in the new year. We will share all of that as we know it. Until then, Liz Garrigan-Byerly is the ACM for the North Central Region. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Merger Poem

by Judy Chicago, 1979

And then all that has divided us will merge

And then compassion will be wedded to power

And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind

And then [all genders] will be gentle

And then [all genders] will be strong

And then no person will be subject to another's will

And then all will be rich and free and varied

And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many

And then all will share equally in the Earth's abundance

And then all will care for the sick and the weak and the old

And then all will nourish the young

And then all will cherish life's creatures

And then everywhere will be called Eden once again.

ASSOCIATION & CHURCH EVENTS
(Central MA & Windham CT)

Christmas of Caring Concert and Sing-A-Long – Sunday, December 11^th from 3pm to 5pm
First Congregational Church in Worcester (1070 Pleasant Street, Worcester MA 01602)

This afternoon of fun will include a chance to sing along with some of your favorite sacred and secular holiday songs as we too eliminate medical debt! A free will offering will be collected, raffle tickets will be available for our chance auction with many fine items donated by local people and businesses, and cookies and cocoa will also be available for this festive time together. All proceeds will go toward our goal of raising $5,000 to eliminate $500,000 in Medical Debt by partnering with RIP Medical Debt. Learn more at www.fcc-worcester.org.

Do we have your church leaders listed correctly?

Please have your church administrator (or whoever handles your church's email account) visit the Church Dashboard (part of the Southern New England Conference's data base) to make sure we're connecting with all the current leaders in your church. If you have difficulty logging into your account please contact Nancy Stubbs at stubbsn@sneucc.org.

CONFERENCE & REGIONAL EVENTS/INFORMATION
Please go to sneucc.org/events to see all posted events

Quarterly Racial Justice Training for all:

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.

NEW OFFERINGS in 2023!

Racial Justice Training for Authorized Clergy and MIDs:
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 9 AM-12:30 PM

Racial Justice Training for All:
Wednesday, April 12, 7-9 PM AND Thursday, April 13, 7-8:30 PM

THE CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The Center for Transformational Leadership equips clergy and lay leaders, congregations and covenantal partners of the SNEUCC with resources, tools and support to create a new vision and do the transformative ministry they are called to do in the local church, local community and the world.
We believe God calls us to bring new life as agents of change, and so we embrace and encourage adaptive and transformative leadership wherever the Body of Christ is gathered. SIGN UP HERE to receive the Center for Transformational Leadership's monthly newsletter, Innovation Now!

Fall 2022 Lunch & Learn schedule

Lunch & Learn for Leaders 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.

Engaging Christian Contemplative Practices: Series starts Wednesday, January 18th from 7:00-8:30 PM (REGISTER)
Writing Pastors, Writing Faith; Creativity as Spiritual Practice - An Affinity Group for Clergy: Series starts Thursday, January 26th, 2023 (REGISTER)

Please click here to read more and to register.

Read newsletter issues HERE.

DISCIPLESHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT A GLANCE

SNEUCC Confirmation Retreats '22-'23

Register your group for a facilitated retreat in 2022-2023! Chose from seven dates and three great locations.
In addition to our overnight retreats, consider our Weekend Retreats at Silver Lake! These events will include two nights with four meals, a full stay from Friday from 7:00pm to Sunday at 11:30am, and programs include team building, games, and campfire time on Saturday. Cost is $195 per person.
Registration is now open! Go to sneucc.org/events and select your preferred date. To ensure a spot for your attendants, you will be asked to make a deposit for each participant. Final count and full payment are due 21 days prior to the retreat. Please see each registration form for important information and policies.

Click here to read and learn more!

OUTDOOR MINISTRIES & MISSION OPPORTUNITIES

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

Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center

Edwards House Meeting & Retreat Center, Framingham, MA

Pilgrim Day Camp, Framingham, MA

Irons Homestead, Glocester, RI

Fueling Inclusion, Voice, and
Opportunity for All

WAMS Works with individuals and community partners to inspire economic and education equity through social change. Click here to learn more about WAMS.

Worcester Fellowship

Please check their website for updated information.

TEMPORARY MINISTERIAL COVERAGE LIST

The Southern New England Conference maintains Temporary Ministerial Coverage (TMC) lists for all 6 SNEUCC regions. These lists contain Clergy and Lay people that are interested in providing Sunday Supply, Sabbatical Coverage, and Bridge Coverage. All the people included on the list have had a Criminal Background Check and are required to have Boundary Awareness Training as well as Racial Justice Training.

These TMC lists are regularly updated in real time. If your church is in need of a list please reach out to the Program Support Associate for your Region:
North Central & Northwest Regions: Deb Holmes, holmesd@sneucc.org
South Central & Southwest Regions: Roz Hooks: Hooksr@sneucc.org
Northeast & Southeast Regions: Lynn Varney: Varneyl@sneucc.org

If you are interested in being included on any of the Temporary Ministerial Coverage regional lists please contact Jill Ford at fordj@sneucc.org.

ACTIVE FOOD PANTRIES AND OUTREACH MEALS

The attached list is an updated list of churches in the North Central Region that currently have active food pantries and outreach meals for people in need. Please email Deb Holmes at holmesd@sneucc.org to have your church information included or updated. North Central Region List.

TRANSITIONS

Please click here to view all of the SNEUCC Transitions.

CELEBRATIONS

November Ordination Anniversaries

60 Years
The Rev. Graham Ward

55 Years
The Rev. Gerald Kupperschmidt

45 Years
The Rev. Dr. Edward Bernald
The Rev. Karen Haringa

35 Years
The Rev. Dr. Dawn Clark

25 Years
The Rev. David Rozewski

15 Years
The Rev. Jen Munroe-Nathans

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

If your church is celebrating a mile anniversary please let Deb Holmes know so that entire North Central Region can celebrate with you!

New O&A churches!

Please Welcome The United Church of Clinton
and the First Congregational of Rutland
as the newest ONA churches in the region!

OBITUARIES

Please click here to view all SNEUCC obituaries.

CLASSIFIEDS

Please click here to view all SNEUCC Classifieds

ASSOCIATION MEETING INFORMATION

Central MA Association Meeting Information:

The Committee on Authorized Ministry:
Third Thursday of the month at 9:30 AM.
The Board of Director's:
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:00PM

Meetings are via Zoom or in-person at the First Congregational Church in Shrewsbury

Windham Association Meeting Information:

Monthly Council meeting:

First Tuesday of the month from 2:00PM to 4:00PM. via Zoom.

Do we have your church leaders listed correctly?

CONFERENCE & REGIONAL EVENTS/INFORMATION Please go to sneucc.org/events to see all posted events

Quarterly Racial Justice Training for all:

New O&A churches!

CONFERENCE & REGIONAL EVENTS/INFORMATION
Please go to sneucc.org/events to see all posted events