June 2024 God's Presence goes with you! Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’   If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”   The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” -Exodus 33.12-14   We often don’t know what lies ahead.  We may even doubt if there’s enough resources – fiscal or human – for the journey.  However, amid all the doing and all yet to be done, I offer you these words: God’s presence goes with you!  May you be intentional about finding rest this summer for your body, your mind, and your spirit.    Blessings, Isaac Isaac Schedule your One to One conversations with Rev. Isaac Lawson The Rev. Isaac Lawson will be hosting one to one clergy meetings for 45 minutes on the first Monday and Thursday of each month from 10:00AM - 1:00PM and the fourth Thursday of the each month 1:00PM to 5:00PM. Please use this link NEW LINK! to sign up for a meeting: Please contact Deb Holmes if you have any questions or problems signing up for a meeting.

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.

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 Deb Holmes to be included in future monthly publications.  

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.

Scholarship Available

The First Congregational Church of Harwich is pleased to make available a scholarship of around $500 from our Wood Fund this year.  Ministry and Christian Education students who are members of congregations that are within the Southern New England Conference of the UCC are invited to apply for this scholarship to assist with the cost of attending seminary.  Application forms are available online at First Church of Harwich website. (A link to the Wood Fund application is at the bottom of the page.) Application materials must be received by the First Congregational Church, UCC, Attention: Scholarship Team, 697 Main St, Harwich, MA 02645 by April 1, 2024. Please email Del Borah if you have any questions.

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

Ordination Anniversaries for June

There are no June Ordination Anniversaries

2024 MILESTONE CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES

 First Congregational Church of Southington - 300 years
Congregational Church of Burlington - 250 years
Immanuel Congregational Church, Inc. - 200 years 
 

Registration is open for the SNEUCC's 5th Annual Meeting, which is not only open to voting delegates and to authorized clergy but to ALL who wish to attend and take in all there is to offer, The meeting itself is taking place both online and onsite at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA on June 22 and will include a keynote on God Math and growing the church, dynamic worship and Conference business. A children's program is available, as are opportunities to be a vendor or sponsor. A number of pre-events are being held on June 21, including a screening of an award-winning film about how a Kentucky church changed their community by converting a parking lot into a village that houses social services and businesses. The president of that village will take part in a discussion following the screening. There will also be a tour of the UMass permaculture gardens, a tour of the Ancestral Bridges exhibit with its founder, and a live storytelling event. More information and registration 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.  Find out more and register at: 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: https://www.sneucc.org/newsdetail/announcing-2024-justice-summit-politics-as-an-act-of-faith-18369906

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 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 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 South Central 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 Deb Holmes.
If you would like to unsubscribe or change your email preferences, please visit sneucc.org/subscribe and enter your email address.