The late great Nat King Cole once sang, “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.” Or as the Gershwin tune claimed, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” Over the years I have found that those sentiments do not ring as true as they once did. Perhaps it is a sign of the times, or just that I am getting older, but my lazy, hazy, crazy summer days are fewer and fewer every year. There will be a few days off and a longer vacation scheduled in early September, however most of July and August will be dedicated to special projects and continued learning. What about you? Will the “livin’ be easy” in the coming months? My prayer for all of you is that you find time for rest and renewal. And a special prayer for the summer season… Gracious and Loving God, As the warmth of summer embraces us, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude for the beauty that surrounds us. In this season of abundance, we thank you for the gift of creation, for the vibrant colors of blooming flowers, the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze, and the symphony of birdsong that fills the air.   Lord, just as the sun sustains life on earth, we ask that your light continue to shine upon us, illuminating our paths with your wisdom and grace. Help us to walk in the warmth of your love, spreading kindness and joy wherever we go.   In the midst of lazy days and long evenings, may we find moments of quiet reflection, drawing closer to you in prayer and meditation. Renew our spirits, O Lord, and fill us with your peace, that we may be beacons of hope in a world that longs for your presence. Amen.   Peace, Rev. Margret Hofmeister ACM SW Region SNEUCC Rev. Margret Hofmeister is the Area Conference Minister in the Southwest Region.  She can be reached at hofmeisterm@sneucc.org or at 860-761-7198. ~~~ Office Hours with Rev. Margret Hofmeister, ACM Now through June 30th, online office hours are: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month; 10 am -12:30 pm    1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month; 4:00 pm -5:30 pm  To schedule a 30-minute visit, contact Program Support Associate (PSA) Lynn Varney at varneyl@sneucc.org.

Juneteenth Worship Service, New Haven, CT - Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School will host a Juneteenth Worship Service at the Historic Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church, UCC, on Wednesday, June 19th at 10:30 am.  More information here. 

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 (acknowledging every 25 years) and other significant church celebrations.  

Ordination Anniversaries for June

5 Years
The Rev. Elizabeth Yoho - 6/2/2019

10 Years
The Rev. Carl Anderson - 6/22/2014

20 Years
The Rev. Douglas Abbott - 6/30/2004
The Rev. Timothy Hare - 6/4/2004
The Rev. Carolyn Johns - 6/27/2004

30 Years
The Rev. Patricia Long - 6/26/1994

40 Years
The Rev. Louise Higginbotham - 6/17/1984

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2024 Milestone Church Anniversaries

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

175 YEARS
First Congregational Church, Ansonia, CT

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Sharing from the United Congregational Church Norwalk:

On June 30,1974 two Connecticut churches came together to create a merged United Congregational Church Norwalk.  Two churches: 1^st Congregational Church, South Norwalk and United Church of Christ, West Norwalk joined in community with shared facilities, activities and fellowship. Both churches brought a rich history of the Congregational Church together.  This year, we celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this merger.  For the entire month of June 2024, the United Congregational Church Norwalk will celebrate with candles, testimonials, recounting of the History, a BBQ and a special service with Association Ministers followed by a reception on Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 2pm, and last but not least a champagne toast to our long-standing fellowship. 

 ~~~

If your name or church has been missed, please contact Lynn Varney or update your data using the Clergy Portal and Local Church Dashboard. 

SNEUCC Local Church Dashboard can be found here.
SNEUCC Clergy Portal can be found here.

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. 

In person registration is closed.  There are limited walk in registrations but lunch is not guaranteed. More information here: www.sneucc.org/2024AM.

Eastern Regional Youth Event July 28 - 31 at Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center, Sharon, CT  This program is open to youth who are   currently in grades 6-12 who may   attend with advisors or on their own.    This regional event is a place to   grow while connecting with teens from   all over New England and other   Eastern UCC Conferences. There will be time for swimming and service work, reflection and recreation, worship and workshops. More info and register: https://www.sneucc.org/2024youth. Silver Lake Camp Season Starts Soon! The SNEUCC Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center in Sharon, CT, has been nationally recognized as one of the best in the United States. Find out more – register your child for Summer Camp, or look into booking a retreat in the Fall of 2024, or Spring or Fall of 2025. Find out more at: https://www.silverlakect.org.     Announcing 2024 Justice Summit:   Politics as an Act of Faith  The third annual Southern New     England Conference Justice Summit   will focus this year on politics as an act of faith. Local church leaders will gather both onsite in Middletown, Connecticut and online for this hybrid event on September 14th.    “This country is in the most polarizing time we’ve seen collectively,” says Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, Executive Minister for Programs and Initiatives. “It is the role of faith organizations to be in the gap and continue to encourage people to witness to each other in shared humanity.  This summit will equip churches to do just that.”   Read more here.

There is a lot going on in Southern New England! Click here to access the SNEUCC Upcoming Events Newsletters, which list details about upcoming trainings, gatherings and events. Or, click here to access the Events Calendar.

Classifieds, 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.  Church administrators are welcome to use the online template to submit information.

Temporary Ministerial Coverage

The Temporary Ministerial Coverage (TMC) lists provide local churches with the contact information, availability and a brief bio of the clergy and lay people who are available to provide Sunday supply, leave or sabbatical coverage or bridge coverage to local churches. The Conference ensures that those on this list are in good standing, have an active criminal background check. These TMC lists are updated in real time. Because these lists contain personal contact information, we do not post them publicly. If your church needs a list for the Northeast, Southeast or Southwest Regions contact Lynn Varney at Varneyl@sneucc.org or for North Central, Northwest & South Central Regions: Deb Holmes, holmesd@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 Subscriptions

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.