Longer days. Crocus, daffodils, tulips. Early morning birdsong. Garden center sales. Bags of mulch. Seed catalogs. These are truly signs of spring, which is for me a special time of year. Special because Easter and spring bring with them a sense of hope...hope of revitalization, renewal, and rebirth.

As an avid birdwatcher, I especially look forward to the start of spring migration.  As I write this article, I am preparing for a vacation that will take me on a birdwatching tour in Greece! This adventure has been on my “birding bucket list” for several years and I am very excited to be fulfilling this dream. For me, birding is more than a hobby, it is a spiritual practice. So, to have Earth Day fall during this time is for me a sign of the Spirit working in my life.

How will you be celebrating Earth Day? How will you be giving thanks and praise to our Creator? Planting a tree? Picking up trash in your neighborhood? Committing to using less plastic in the year to come? Writing a letter to your elected officials encouraging laws that protect the environment? Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint? Saying a prayer for our beautiful and amazing planet? https://www.ucc.org/four_things_your_church_can_do_to_celebrate_earth/

Attend the UCC Earth Summit?
https://www.ucc.org/earth-summit-to-feature-visionary-activists-create-launching-pad-for-transformative-action/

However you celebrate Earth Day, I pray you do so with a sense of hope…hope of revitalization, renewal and rebirth.

Blessings for the journey,
Rev. Margret
 
I will be away April 16-28 and while I’m gone my colleague, Rev. Isaac Lawson will be providing emergency pastoral coverage. He can be reached at lawsoni@sneucc.org.

For non-emergency issues/concerns please contact Program Support Associate, Lynn Varney at varneyl@sneucc.org

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Drop-in Clergy Coffee Break with ACM Rev. Margret Hofmeister on Zoom: 

the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 3pm to 4pm
Next drop in will be May 14th - Join Here
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Schedule Office Hours with ACM Rev. Margret Hofmeister
Now through June, online “office hours” are:
               1st and 3rd Mondays; 10 am -12:30 pm
               1st and 3rd Wednesdays; 4:00 pm -5:30 pm (except April 17th)
To schedule a 30-minute visit, contact Program Support Associate (PSA) Lynn Varney at varneyl@sneucc.org. 

SAVE THE DATE!

New Haven Association Spring Meeting, Wed. May 8th at 6:30pm at Woodbridge Congregational Church, 5 Meetinghouse Lane, Woodbridge, CT

Litchfield South Association Spring Meeting, Tues. May 21st

Fairfield East Association Business Meeting, Wed. May 29th at 7pm on Zoom.

Fairfield East Association Spring Gathering, Sun. June 2nd at 4pm at First Congregational Church, 164 Deer Hill Ave., Danbury, CT

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Norfolk Earth Forum 2024: Honoring Rachel Carson!  April 20 - 21, 2024 The Norfolk Earth Forum is a collaborative initiative designed to enlighten and inspire participants toward improved care of our planet. The Earth Forum is convened by Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC),Norfolk, and co-hosted with Aton Forest, Botelle School, Great Mountain Forest, the Norfolk Conservation Commission, the Norfolk Land Trust, and the Norfolk Library. Through the generosity of the hosts, all events are free and open to the public. Read more here.

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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 Lynn Varney to be included in future monthly publications.  The South Central 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

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.

Clergy Renewal

Throughout the Bible, spiritual renewal is lifted up again and again as essential to human wellbeing. Keeping the sabbath holy is one of the ten commandments. The 50-year Jubilee of rest is even extended to the earth. Jesus routinely stepped away from the demands of his ministry to pray alone. Self-care is not selfish; it is faithful.  Click above for more information.

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.
If your name or church has been missed please contact Lynn Varney and updates will be made to your record and reflected in the next newsletter.

No April Ordination Anniversaries

2024 Milestone Church Anniversaries

300 YEARS
First Congregational Church of Cheshire, CT
Huntington Congregational Church, Shelton, CT
175 YEARS
First Congregational Church, Ansonia, CT

Expect a time to gather and (re)connect with colleagues; share a meal; worship together; and engage in restorative practices. One-on-one appointments with representatives from the Pension Boards to go over your benefits will also be available. Our hope is that these retreats help strengthen your protective practices and supportive networks to sustain your wellness in self and in ministry.  More information and registration here. 

SNE Women's Connection Spring Gathering 2024 April 27, 2024, 9am First Congregational Church, Portland, CT The Role of the Church in Mental Health Care and Ministry Rev. Dr. Ciarán Osborn, UCC Minister, will be the guest speaker and participants will gain knowledge about basic mental health and explore the variety of roles the church can play to create awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health challenges. More information and registration form here.   2024 UCC Annual Earth Summit April 20, 2024 | 1:00PM - 3:00PM Join the UCC Earth Day Summit Featuring Bill McKibben! This online event will take place on Saturday, April 20th at 1 PM ET. In addition to a keynote delivered by McKibben, this two and a half hour summit will feature a panel of award-winning grassroots activists in a David-versus-Goliath struggle against one of the world’s largest producers of plastics. Register now!  Annual Meeting Registration Now Open! The 5th Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ will be held June 21 and 22 at UMass, Amherst, and will focus on growing the church. The keynote speaker for the event will be the Rev. Dr. Courtney Stange-Tregear, the Chief Relationship Officer at the Cornerstone Fund of the UCC, who plans to talk about "God Math," and to share inspiring stories of churches that have grown their ministries - and more greatly impacted their communities - by working smarter, not harder.  More information and registration here:  5th Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference - Southern New England Conference of the UCC (sneucc.org) Pause for Prayer  Wednesdays @ 12:30, Live on Facebook   Praying together is a powerful act of faith, hope and love. We want to be in prayer with you more often! SNEUCC will be holding a weekly time of prayer (accessible to all regardless of whether you have a FB account). Conference staff will offer a mix of scripture, music, litanies and prayer. Participants will be able to add their prayers through the chat feature, and recordings can be found on the SNEUCC Facebook page or our webpage. Join us in prayer!  Tech Deacons Roundtable • Online Morning: April 16 & 30, May 14th, 11:00 AM to Noon (Repeats every other Tues) Evening: April 23rd, May 7th, 7:00 to 8:00 PM (Repeats every other Tues) An arena for churches to support one another by sharing ideas, bringing questions, and identifying new trends and opportunities in digital ministry. UCCMA National Conference 2024 Conference 2024, the national biennial gathering of the United Church of Christ Musicians Association (UCCMA), will take place July 10-13, 2024 at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut. Designed for church musicians, choral and handbell choir members and worship leaders, the three-day event includes workshops, plenary sessions, worship services, evening entertainment and networking opportunities. Complete information is available at here.  Clergy Boundary Awareness Training Good professional boundaries allow ministry and those who do it to thrive with health and wholeness. Through the lens of clergy wellness, authorized ministers will renew their understanding of and develop skills for maintaining boundaries in an ever-shifting ministry landscape.  Upcoming Trainings are online via Zoom: June 5, 2024, 9:30am-2:30pm September 16, 2024, 9:30am-2:30pm November 12 & 13, 2024, 6:30PM-8:30pm (both sessions must be attended) The cost for the training is: SNEUCC Clergy - $65.00; all other Clergy - $85.00.  If you have questions regarding the training please contact Deb Holmes at holmesd@sneucc.org or 508-244-4399.  2024 UCC Stewardship Materials Available Materials for your congregation's 2024 stewardship efforts are now available. This year's theme is "Imagine Together," helping people understand the impact our congregations can make in our communities when we support them. Materials (both printed and digital) include eight complete worship services, hymn suggestions, sermon starters from eight different authors, and faith formation sessions for children, youth, and adults. Also provided are practical tools such as logos, commitment cards, bulletin inserts, and letters. Guidance for every step of your campaign help you make the most of these robust materials. Find more information here.  Are you looking for an open-minded, community-oriented online theological course where your doubts and questions are welcome? Register for one course or complete a certificate program. PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. also has a complete educational program for those seeking to become authorized ministers. Check the website, www.pathwaystheological.org, to learn more about our program. Please consider a donation for PATHWAYS to help keep our program effective and affordable. 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.   Rumors of Our Death are Greatly Exaggerated Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 12PM on Zoom What do you do when your historic building takes up half a city block, but the members don’t take up even a quarter of the sanctuary? When there is plenty in the bank account but no children in Sunday School? What is a church to do when every board meeting is about the roof, the carpet, or the plumbing instead of mission, spirit, and faith formation? What would happen if you gave it all away and focused on just being the church? United Congregational Church in Worcester did just that thirteen years ago and the future is brighter than ever. Come and hear how they did it and how the spirit is still moving.  Register here. Faith Formation 53rd Annual NEAUCE Conference (NEAUCE = New England Association of United Church Educators) We want you to find REST for your SOUL! Join us in “Keeping Sabbath Sacred” this May at NEAUCE 2024 on the beautiful Pilgrim Pines Campus in Swanzey NH. Registration is open for the 53nd Annual NEAUCE Conference. Gather with your fellow colleagues for amazing worship, a variety of specialty workshops, networking, rich discussions, creative play and relaxing opportunities.  Keynote is Rev. Matthew Carriker, UCC Minister and Guest Speaker is Debbie Gline Allen, SNEUCC Minister for Faith Formation. More information and registration here.  Regional Youth Event- Spring Discount LOVE is greater than FEAR Sunday, July 28 - Wednesday, July 31 Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, CT Good News! The Spring Discount on Registration has been extended to April 25. Use Discount code SPRING45 to get $50 off! All youth are welcome to attend with their advisors.  This program is for youth who are currently in grades 6-12 as of January 2024. [Or those who will be entering grades 7-12 in fall 2024, plus recent graduates]. Take a look at this short RYE video  or go to our RYE event page for details and updates.  Hope to see you at the lake on July 28!  Questions?  Contact Debby Kirk at kirkd@sneucc.org Faith Formation Certification Programs  April 20    Serving Together: Mission for All Ages April 27    Boundary Awareness for Faith Formation and Youth Leaders and Local Church Musicians https://www.sneucc.org/certification  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Modeling a Restorative Justice Circle Monday, April 29, 6-7:30pm   Rev. Mark Seifried of the Restorative Justice Task Team will facilitate a sample restorative justice circle, demonstrating its use in a local church. In this scenario, a church council has decided that the best way to balance the budget is to cut the music budget in half. How does the church move through the conflict that has become painful, build trust, come to agreements that are amenable to the parties, and move forward in a positive direction? For more information and to register, click here.  WISE and Mental Health Month - May is Mental Health Month   Masking and Loneliness by Debbie Ringen, Minister of Health and Wellness  The days of constantly wearing a mask in the presence of others during the Covid- 19 pandemic may be significantly fewer today and may only be continuing for some, however, I wonder if we as human beings are still wearing at least one of our masks. Read more here, Masking and Loneliness.docx.   Racial Justice for Authorized Ministers The Southern New England Conference’s Center for Transformational Leadership is launching a series of racial justice workshops aimed at equipping authorized ministers for the ongoing work of showing up in a multi-racial, multi-cultural world. Learn more and sign up for upcoming sessions here. Upcoming sessions: May 21: Racial Justice-Renewal - Microaggressions & Interpersonal Racism June 11: Racial Justice - Foundations Outdoor Ministries The Southern New England Conference engages in Outdoor & Retreat Ministry with the following sites: Edwards House Meeting & Retreat Center, Framingham, MA   Irons Homestead, Gloucester, RI   Pilgrim Day Camp, Framingham, MA   Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center, Sharon, CT   Silver Lake Summer Camp 2024 registration is open! View the schedule and learn more at https://www.silverlakect.org/summercamp 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. Classifieds 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. Church administrators are welcome to use the online template to submit 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, South Central & Northwest Regions: Deb Holmes holmesd@sneucc.org Northeast, Southeast & Southwest 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.  Newsletter Subscription 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 is sent on a monthly basis, on or near 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 Lynn Varney. If you would like to unsubscribe or change your email preferences, please visit sneucc.org/subscribe and enter your email address.