| Words from your Area Conference Minister |
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Friends,
In 1853, Antoinette Brown became the first woman ordained into a recognized Christian denomination in the United States. Reverend Brown is noted in the UCC's history as one of our many 'firsts' AND whenever we celebrate 'firsts' it's important to investigating why someone was a first, to talk about the structures of inequity that have blocked women from full access in and through ministry and to interrogate where those stumbling blocks still exist today.
The United Church of Christ recognizes that Revered Brown was an advocate for women's leadership in church and society and did not have a desire to be the first and only but rather the first of many. And so the call has gone out for you to consider what outstanding clergywomen you might nominate from your Association or Conference for the Antoinette Brown Award?
Nominees for Trailblazers will be ordained clergywomen in the UCC who honor Antoinette Brown’s vision of women’s calling to leadership in church and society. We seek to honor exceptional current work as well as lifetime achievement, with an emphasis on forging a path for women in ministry.
Nominees for Catalysts will be projects, collectives, congregations, or organizations that provide a provocative space that advances and empowers women in ministry. The nomination forms can be found at https://www.ucc.org/.../Antoinette-Brown-Nomination-Form...
Visit the ABS webpage for more information and to support the work of the Antoinette Brown Society. https://www.ucc.org/antoinette-brown-society/
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Blessings,
Rev. Samantha Houser
Bridge Area Conference Minister
Southern New England Conference, UCC
housers@sneucc.org
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Regional, Association & Church Events
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What are you up to? Does your Church or Association have events or news that can benefit from being shared - Meetings, Ecclesiastical Councils, Ordinations, etc? This newsletter space is just waiting to be populated by your activity! Please send your events and news Roz Hooks to be included in future monthly publications. The Southwest Region of the Southern New England Conference is comprised of:
- Fairfield East Association
- Fairfield West Association
- Litchfield South Association
- New Haven Association
- New Haven East Consociation
The Regional Newsletter will now be sent on a monthly basis. The regular schedule will be on the Third Tuesday of each month beginning in February 2023. If you would like to have events included please make sure to have them submitted by the Second Wednesday of the month to Roz by clicking the name above.
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The Southern New England Conference has called two new Associate Conference Ministers, both of whom have extensive Committee on Ministry experience and are currently serving within the Conference. Click on the title to read more.
Rev. Carol Steinbrecher & Rev. Margret Hofmeister
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Here we recognize and celebrate Ordination Anniversaries listed from 5 years forward in increments of 5 years, as well as milestone church anniversaries of 100+ years.
JANUARY ORDINATION ANNIVERSARIES
50 YEARS
The Rev. Dr. Frederick Streets - 1/1/1973*
45 YEARS
The Rev. Shannon Clarkson - 1/1/1978*
The Rev. Edward Rawls - 1/1/1978*
35 YEARS
The Rev. Dr. Anne Coffman - 1/1/1988*
25 YEARS
The Rev. Susan Murtha - 1/1/1998*
20 YEARS
The Rev. Clare Robert - 1/18/2003
The Rev. James Lattimer - 1/26/2003
5 YEARS
The Rev. Katrina Manzi - 1/21/2018
The Rev. Lisa Eleck - 1/28/2018
*month and day may not be accurate
2023 MILESTONE CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES
380 YEARS
First Congregational Church of Guilford
315 YEARS
United Churches of Durham
290 YEARS
The Congregational Church of New Canaan
First Church of Christ, Congregational of Redding, CT
225 YEARS
Milton Congregational Church
Prospect Congregational Church, UCC
180 YEARS
Southport Congregational Church
115 YEARS
Evangelical & Reformed UCC
| Conference & Partner Updates |
Please go to sneucc.org/events to see all posted events
Saturday June 17, 2023 @ DCU Center in Worcester, MA
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You’ve probably heard me say before that what binds us together as a denomination is covenant, not creed or practice or structure but sacred relationship and commitment. I give thanks to God for the strength of our covenantal bonds and partnerships. Every conversation or meeting I have with individual churches or pastors is buttressed by our covenantal bonds and indeed would not be possible without them.
Proportional Giving is one of the key ways we express that covenant. Each church recently received a letter about PR from the Rev. David Cleaver-Bartholomew, Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations. I want to personally thank you for your covenantal commitment to the work of the wider church through PG; it is essential to all the transformative things the conference is able to do. I hope you will make time to prayerfully consider how your church can be in covenant by contributing to Proportional Giving
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 @ 2pm EST
Featuring: Andrea Gauding – Sr. V/P and CFO of Insurance Board
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Registration is open now for the UCC New England Women's Celebration XI in Manchester, NH - March 17-19, 2023.
Learn more and register online - www.uccwc.org
$125 - Full registration* (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
$100 - Saturday-only registration*
*Please note, the registration fee does not include meals or accommodations.
The Data Hub will be available beginning noon, Wednesday, January 4, 2023. The deadline for entering data is midnight Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Data Hub deadlines are related to publication schedules; late information may not be included in the 2023 Yearbook.
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Webinars offered from 6:30 to 7:30pm Central Time
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Quarterly Racial Justice Training
The Racial Justice 101 workshop is designed as an overview session, grounded in the articulations of Christian faith and the belief that faithfulness to God mandates that we all work to bring forth justice for all of God’s people. It offers an introduction to racial formation; invites participants to consider the role of our country’s founding documents in constructing and framing U.S. racial realities; explores contemporary issues of racism; and introduces shared language for discussions of white supremacy. Throughout the workshop, participants are urged to use the lens of their faith and current ministry settings as they think about what they are learning. MORE INFO HERE
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Nourishing the seeds of faith.
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A new year brings new opportunities to learn and grow in faith! PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. is pleased to announce our January term online, asynchronous courses that are accessible and affordable for curious Progressive Christians. All courses are designed with the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers at their core, and are helpful to anyone who wants to develop spiritual and leadership gifts for use in the church and the world.
For more information about PATHWAYS as an organization, our courses, and to register, please visit www.pathwaystheological.org.
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Are you called to learn more or take action around Environmental Justice Issues? Visit the SNEUCC's Environmental Ministries web page for ideas and resources.
Green Congregation Challenge
The Green Congregation Challenge is a step-by-step approach that helps churches take small, but consequential, steps towards protecting God’s Creation Learn more about the Green Congregation Challenge.
This month, we celebrate the efforts of the following congregations - and particularly note the first congregations to reach Level 4! Read more about recently-celebrated congregations here.
- Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord, MA - completed Level 1
- Church of Christ Congregational UCC, Norfolk, CT- completed Level 2
- South Church, Andover, MA - completed Level 4
- Old South Church in Boston, MA - completed Level 4
- First Congregational Church, Southington, CT - pledged to begin work on Level 1
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TOGETHER WE THRIVE
Greetings Authorized Ministers,
We wanted to bring to your attention several upcoming programs that you might be interested in taking advantage of, offered by Together We Thrive. Details and registration links for all the programs may be found at www.togetherwethrivegrant.org.
UPCOMING OFFERINGS
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Interested in learning more about the 2022-2023 FFLP program year?
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- Updated!-
God's World in Community: a new resources from PA's GenOn Ministries that emphasizes intergenerational gathering and activities based on the Book of Acts. Fully available online!
ReNew: The Green VBS: A product of Spark House, this 5-day curriculum based around Christ's Parable of the Sower. Intended for younger VBS-goers (pre-K through sixth grade).
Under Your Wing: Parents, grandparents, and caregivers of younger children: are you looking for a way to talk about bodily safety and physical development with your 5-7-year olds? If so, check out this video series from the UCC/UUA's Our Whole Lives (OWL) program.
Look for more helpful materials and curated links under Make Disciples on www.sneucc.org.
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Sessions are led by Environmental Justice Intern Lillian Steinmayer. Lillian has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. She's a member of the Congregational Church in Goshen, CT, and is looking forward to diving deep into the topics of nature, faith, and what environmental justice looks like. Click the title for more information.
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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.
Pilgrim Day Camp, Framingham, MA - registration now open!
This is a traditional summer day camp with over 50 years of experience in providing children safe, summer fun.
Silver Lake Conference Center, Sharon, CT
Share the ministry of Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center with your community! To help you get the word out about Silver Lake’s exciting programs, visit www.silverlakect.org/promote for a collection of materials and resources. Silver Lake mourns the passing of Ruth Turner Tyrol.
| Transitions and Obituaries |
Transitions within the Southern New England Conference can be found here.
Obituaries within the Southern New England Conference can be found here.
A full list of classified postings can be found here on the SNE website. Some examples include: Church Administrator, Digital Minister, Organist/Choir Director, Director of Faith Formation as well as items for sale or free.
Visit our classifieds web page for details of each listing. Church administrators are welcome to use the online template to submit information.
The Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center has two openings: one for Program Director and one for Site Manager. Click each title to see the job postings.
Temporary Ministerial Coverage List
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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.
You are receiving this newsletter because we've identified you as a local church or you have standing in one of the associations in the Southwest Region of the Southern New England Conference. The Regional Newsletter will now be sent on a monthly basis. The regular schedule will be on the Third Tuesday of each month. If you would like to have events included please make sure to have them submitted by the Second Wednesday of the month to Roz Hooks.
If you would like to unsubscribe or change your email preferences, please visit sneucc.org/subscribe and enter your email address.
