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WORDS FROM YOUR
AREA CONFERENCE MINISTER

March 21, 2023

Dear Northwest Region,
 
“How do you feel about perichoresis?”
 
This question was asked of me at my Ecclesiastical Council (E.C.), the oral interview of candidates for ordination by delegates of member churches of the ordaining Association. The E.C. essentially acts in the same way an oral defense does for a doctoral degree. The question was asked by Rev. Dr. Choo Lak Yeow, a Cambridge---and many other institutions—trained pastor who grew up in Singapore.
 
And while some might imagine that such a question could be posturing or showing off by a pastor, or worse, an effort to trip up an ordinand, I found in conversation with Choo Lak afterwards that he was genuinely excited by and curious about perichoresis. He really wanted to know what I thought.
 
Thank God that it just so happened that perichoresis was then, and remains still, one of my favorite ways to conceive of the Holy Trinity, and I could expound upon it in the E.C. It is a Greek concept that means “being-in-one-another, permeation without confusion,”
[1] which implies the divine dance of God, Christ, and Holy Spirit, wherein “the dancers are the dance and vice versa, and that dance is love.”[2]

So why bring this up today in the depths of Lent? Well, as your Area Conference Minister, I find that a great deal of my time is spent explaining covenantal relationships and/or in efforts to restore and strengthen said relationships between congregation, church, Association, pastor, and Conference. In conversations where the relationships have atrophied to the point where one member of the covenant asks “Why bother,” or “What’s in it for us,” I know we are in troubled waters. Moreover, the effort to restore relationship in those instances can feel less like a dance and more like a forced jig under duress.
 
But I try in those moments to ask myself and the members of the covenantal relationship to remember why the model for our polity is based on covenant in the first place. Our UCC Constitution speaks to that in part:
 
Within the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the church relate to each other in a covenantal manner. Each expression of the church has responsibilities and rights in relation to the others, to the end that the whole church will seek God’s will and be faithful to God’s mission. Decisions are made in consultation and collaboration among the various parts of the structure. As members of the Body of Christ, each expression of the church is called to honor and respect the work and ministry of each other part. Each expression of the church listens, hears, and carefully considers the advice, counsel, and requests of others. In this covenant, the various expressions of the United Church of Christ seek to walk together in all God’s ways. (Constitution, Article III)
 
But beyond these practices of mutual listening and discernment-- what happens if we remember that the original covenantal relationship of the Trinity is a divine dance? That it is possible that our own covenantal relationships could even bring joy? That they are danced in love together with Jesus, Holy Spirit, and God the Parent? That we are stronger together than we are apart?
 
As your Lenten journey continues to the foot of the cross and beyond, I invite you to look where Holy Spirit and God the Parent show up along Jesus’ way. To notice where are all three showing up for you in your walk. To consider: How can you be remembered to the perichoretic fecundity
[3] available in our Christian faith and embodied covenantal relationships?
 
(And yes, I’m genuinely interested in and excited to hear your musings.) ??
 
Lenten Blessings,
Rev. Terry Yasuko Ogawa
Area Conference Minister, Northwest Region

 
[1] Catherine Mowry LaCugna, God For Us: The Trinity and Christian Life, 1st ed. (San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 1991), 271.
[2] Jay Emerson Johnson, “Trinitarian Tango,” 2003, 5.
[3] Jay Emerson Johnson, “Trinitarian Tango,” 2003, 5.

One to One conversations with Rev. Terry Yasuko Ogawa
The Rev. Ogawa will be hosting bi-weekly coffee house hours to meet with clergy for 30 minutes on the first and third Thursday mornings. These can be scheduled by clicking here.  Please contact her Program Support Associate, Deb Holmes if you have questions or problems signing up for a meeting.

 

ASSOCIATION & CHURCH UPDATES
(Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Litchfield North)

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.


2nd Annual Springfield Pride Parade

June 3, 2023
10:00AM parade launces at 12 (noon) sharp
Springfield Technical Community College
1 Federal Street
Springfield, MA 01105

BLOCK PARTY
12:30PM - 9:00PM
Stearns Square
52-98 Sterns Square, Springfield

click here to learn more and to register.


2023  -  26th Annual Lenten Discussion Series  -  2023
On the Outside Looking In 


Church World Service school bags

First Congregational Church in Willimantic is haring the availability of Church World Service school bags.   Our Interfaith Sewing & Service Group has been making the bags for CWS School Kits for many years.  They are made to the specifications required by CWS. 
The group asks for $1.00 per bag plus postage.  Orders can be placed through the church 860-423-6827 or Olive at 860-423-8072.

 

CELEBRATIONS
(Church Anniversaries & Ordinations)

 

Ordination Anniversaries

There are no anniversaries in March

Church Milestones in 2023

Southwick Congregational Church UCC - 250 years


The attached list is an updated list of churches in the Northwest 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.   

CONFERENCE & PARTNER UPDATES

Do You Need a Day Away?

Edwards House provides Complimentary Retreat Days to New England Non-Profit, Lay, and Clergy Leadership. Two different opportunities can be found here


 

Northwest Regional Gathering

Sunday, June 11, 2pm-5pm
First Congregational Church UCC
306 Chicopee Street
Chicopee, MA 01013-1744

 

Come and G.R.O.W. with us at the Regional Gatherings this spring! We hope that local church leaders, authorized ministers and association leaders will join Conference staff and board members for the chance to connect, collaborate and strengthen our covenantal connections in person. You can watch the invitational video here find more information here and register here.

Save the Date! SNEUCC Annual Meeting
June 17, 2023
Worcester, MA - DCU Center
Roll Away the Stone Mark 16:1-4

A message from the Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, Executive Minister for Programs and Initiatives:
To the churches of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts in the United Church of Christ, save the date for the Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC.
We will gather together on Saturday, June 17th, all day, for an in-person meeting in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the DCU Center, where our first historic vote to be the Conference happened.
There, we will do the business of the Conference, enjoy the incarnate presence of each other and reconnect, and witness to the power of what we can do when we come together.
Together , we bring hope in making disciples of Jesus, making God's love and justice real, bringing new life as agents of change, and forming covenantal partnerships.
We expect that there will be a digital component to our Annual Meeting as well, the details of which are still TBA, and we're working out a few details on optional pre-events in addition. But for now, save the date and look to more information coming your way soon.
Beloveds of God - I cannot wait to be with you at our Annual Meeting in June!
Please click here to learn more.


News: 2022 Giving to SNEUCC Exceeds Expectations 
Local church giving to the Southern New England Conference came in over budget for 2022 – welcome news as the new Conference emerges from the pandemic. Read the details, and see a thank you video from Board President Tracy Keene and a video looking at what was made possible by Proportional Giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission in 2022. 
 
SNEUCC Sending Youth to General Synod 
The Southern New England Conference is accepting applications from youth who want to take part in Youth @ Synod, the national gathering for young leaders ages 14 to 18 who want to connect with teens from around the country while experiencing the vibrant diversity of the wider church. The event is part of the United Church of Christ General Synod, taking place in Indianapolis, IN, June 30 to July 4. Significant scholarship support is available. 
 
Conference Offers 'Braiding Sweetgrass' Online Book Study 
A Braiding Sweetgrass online book study will be offered on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM, April 11 to May 9, led by Environmental Justice Intern Lillian Steinmayer. Each week’s discussion will focus on a different section of this book in the context of environment, gratitude, and our role as Earth's children. 
 
Silver Lake Summer Camp Registration Now Open 
Registration is now open for campers entering grades 4 through 12 for five 1-week sessions running this summer from July 2 through August 5.  Register before the end of March to get the early bird discount of $50 off each summer camp registration by using the code EARLY23. 
 
Ministry Matters: An Evening of Conversation 
April 27, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM 
Seekonk Congregational UCC, Seekonk, MA
 
The Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister, The Rev. Eric Elley, Digital Minister, and Ms. Karen Ziel, Assistant Director of The Center for Transformational Leadership, will talk about new and exciting ministries offered by the SNEUCC and engage in Q&A. 

 



Spring 2023 Gathering for SNE Women's Connection!
April 15 2023

Registration Form and Recognized Women Form


Practical Resources for Churches

The Southern New England Conference is a member of this group and all churches can access their offerings. PRCLI offers webinars and online workshops, check them out! They can be found here.

CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

 

Lunch & Learn for Leaders 2022-2023 Workshop Series

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 clergy and lay leaders, have indicated are timely for your congregations. The Lunch & Learn for Leaders series is offered at no cost to participants through your proportional giving!

FAITH FORMATION

 

Lenten Chapel of the Heart 
Wednesdays, 9 AM, March 1 - 29  Online 
All are welcome to join a virtual devotional time on five Wednesday mornings during Lent.  The SNEUCC Faith Formation Team will lead the sessions of prayer, reflection and music which are 45 minutes in length. 

Link: https://www.sneucc.org/eventdetail/17276511 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

 
 Conference Launches Lenten Book Study on Microaggressions in Ministry

Executive Minister of Programs and Initiatives the Rev. Dr. Chris Davies will lead this Conference-Wide book study 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.   
This book study fulfills conference Racial Justice Training  requirements.
Link: https://www.sneucc.org/eventdetail/17308085  

OUTDOOR MINISTRIES

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
Registration opens January 29th at Noon!


Irons Homestead, Glocester, RI

Both Silver Lake and Pilgrim Day Camp are recruiting summer camp staff. 
Silver Lake will be opening camp registration March 1 at 9 AM
Summer Staff applications are due by Feb. 24 – info is here: https://www.silverlakect.org/employment 

Pilgrim Day Camp registration is full for the summer. 
Summer Staff can apply here: https://pilgrimdaycamp.org/staff-applications/ 

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 Reg
ions: Lynn Varney: Varneyl@sneucc.org

If you are interested in being included on any of the Temporary Minister

MORE...
(Classifieds, Transitions, and Obituaries)

 

Please click here to view all SNEUCC obituaries. 

Please click here to view all SNEUCC Classifieds

Please click here to view all of the SNEUCC Transitions

 

Northwest Region of
The Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ

508-244-4399
holmesd@sneucc.org 
www.sneucc.org/northwest

Office Hours: 
Monday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday-Thursday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday: Closed

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