SNEUCC Upcoming Events - Sept. 1 Edition

Boundary Awareness Training: Through the Lens of Clergy Wellness
Sept. 16, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM • Online (Registration deadline: Sept. 11)
Nov. 12 & 13, 6:30 - 8:30 PM • Online (Registration deadline: Nov. 7)
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.

SNEUCC Member in Discernment Gathering
Sept. 18, 7:00 PM • Online
As the church "program year" gets underway, MIDs are invited to a Zoom drop-in. The first 30 minutes will be some facilitated check-in time, led by the Rev. Alex Shea Will. The second 30 minutes will be unstructured time, for MIDs to connect as they wish.

Proclamation Lab PL3: How to Write for the Local Paper… and Get Published
Sept. 22, 3:00 to 5:00 PM
First Congregational Church of Hatfield, MA
A Project Proclaim lab in which participants will learn how to write about faith, religion and spirituality for a local newspaper, with attention upon their writing style, individual voice, and compelling & newsworthy storytelling. This free event will be facilitated by Scout Opatut, an Assistant Editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, and Editor of the Valley Advocate.

Clergy Wellness Retreat - North Central & Northeast Regions
Oct. 2, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Congregational Church of Littleton, MA
Clergy are invited to come enjoy a day away to refresh body, mind, and spirit. Choose two of the three activities, or spend time in the quiet room.

Building Resilience Retreat for Authorized Clergy
Oct. 24, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Rocky Hill Congregational Church, Rocky Hill, CT
Rev. Judith Cooke is a Pastor and Resilience Coach who delights in helping people find the clarity they need that moves them to a life they love.

Ongoing Gatherings:

Tech Deacons Roundtable • Online
Morning: Sept. 3, 11:00 AM to Noon (repeats every other week)
Evening: Sept. 10, 7:00 to 8:00 PM (repeats every other week)
An arena for churches to support one another by sharing ideas, bringing questions, and identifying new trends and opportunities in digital ministry.

Project Proclaim Learning Cohorts
Registration Deadline: Sept. 13
peer-learning groups focused on engaging and excelling the skill of proclamation, in the pulpit and beyond. Current clergy, aspiring preachers, and/or lay persons and those who simply feel called will meet monthly for 3 hours to preach and receive feedback, as led by a trained facilitator.

Ministers of Color Affinity Group • Online
Sept. 24, Nov. 19, Jan. 21, March 18, May 27, June 17, 2:00 to 4:00 PM
An affinity group for those who are a person with one or multiple racialized identities, usually expressed with the shorthand of BIPOC.

Affinity Group: Cross Cultural Leadership in the Integral Way
Thursdays: Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, & Nov. 7, 10 AM - 12 PM
Quanita Roberson will lead this group, which will explore cross cultural leadership through levels of growth and development including, egocentric, ethnocentric, and world-centric levels of development.

PATHWAYS Offerings:

Introduction to Storytelling for Preaching and Proclamation
Online Course Begins Sept. 4
Participants will explore and experiment with a style of storytelling that is exemplified by The Moth, a non-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling.

What is the Bible? based on the Exploring the Bible Dickinson Series
Online Course Begins Sept. 4
This course introduces participants to the Bible in its many contexts: as sacred story and as literature, as moral guide and historical guide.

UCC Offerings:

Think Differently About Church, Unlock Community Transformation
Sept. 26 & 27 • Online
The Church Building & Loan Fund presents the 2024 Partners in Building conference, with presentations and workshops on land use, repurposing resources for mission, faith-based entrepreneurship, fundraising and the future of ministry.

UCC Webinar: End the Year Strong: Making the Most of Year End Giving
Oct. 23, 7:30 PM • Online
November and December can be the strongest months for giving in charities. The conversation will lift up ideas and messages to promote giving to congregations

SNEUCC Faith Formation & Outdoor Ministries Events:

Intro to Race, Racism and Racial Justice for Faith Formation Leaders and Local Church Leaders
Oct. 5, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM • Online
This Faith Formation Leadership Class is a broad, but not comprehensive, introduction to race as a concept, racism and its various forms, and various forms of working toward racial justice

2024 Silver Lake Awards Celebration
Oct. 6, 2:00 to 5:00 PM
The Hollow at Manchester Country Club, Manchester, CT
This event features and a live and silent auction, hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and an opportunity to donate directly to the Silver Lake Scholarship Fund.

2024 Fall Family Weekend at Silver Lake
Oct. 11 - 14
Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center, Sharon, CT
Families of every size and description are welcome to gather to worship together, play games, explore nature, and much more, while learning what it means to be a family, not just to each other, but to all God’s people.

Living Into the Mystery - Worship & Sacraments in the UCC
Oct. 19, 8;30 AM to 12:30 PM • Online
A Faith Formation Leadership Program Class: Discussion will include creating worship experiences that welcome all ages and abilities.

Women's Yoga & Music Spirit Retreat at Silver Lake
Oct. 25 - 27
Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center, Sharon, CT
Whether you’re a yoga devotee or a novice, a seasoned singer or shy about your voice, we have a special place for you in our circle!

Youth Ministry 101
Nov. 2, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM • Online
A Faith Formation Leadership Program Class: Explore the nuts and bolts alongside the theological foundations of organizing and implementing youth ministry programs.

Theories & Practices
Nov. 16, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM • Online
A Faith Formation Leadership Program Class: How the grounding principles of education, formation, and living in the ways of Jesus can be developed and used to make disciples of all ages.

SNEUCC Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events:

2024 Justice Summit: Politics as an Act of Faith
Sept. 14, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and online
This day-long program will equip local church leaders, both lay and clergy, to engage with politics as people of faith. Includes a workshop for preachers; sessions on the challenges of engaging political conversations, especially in such a polarized time; and connection with faith-based justice leaders for practical opportunities to take your faith beyond the pews.

Racial Justice for Authorized Ministers - Renewal
Sept. 24, 1:00 to 5:00 PM • Online
Situating Yourself and Your Ministry Context Racially (includes caucus spaces for white people and people of color): participants will focus on understanding themselves racially and unpack the stories their ministry settings tell in terms of race.

Office Hours: How can our church support refugees?
Sept. 24, 7:00 to 8:00 PM • Online
Members of the SNEUCC Immigration, Refugee, Asylum Task Team (IRATT) are available to answer questions and foster conversation about how churches can support refugees.

Intro to Gender & Trans/Nonbinary Affirmation
Sept. 28, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM • Online
This workshop will introduce key concepts related to gender and helps church leaders identify practical methods of affirming trans and nonbinary people in their communities.

Becoming a Trans-Affirming Church • Online
Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dev. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 13, Mar. 13, Apr. 3, 7 to 8:30 PM
This Affinity Group supports pastors and lay leaders working together to lead their congregation in becoming trans-affirming. Leader: Rev. Noah Brewer-Wallin

Racial Justice for Authorized Ministers - Foundations
Oct. 30, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM • Online
Training for Authorized Ministers who have not had racial justice training within the past 3 years.

Offered by Our Partners:

Antisemitism: Understanding and Counteracting-An Interactive Discussion
Sept. 8, 3:00 to 5:00 PM
The First Congregational Church of Sunderland, MA

Clergy Well-Being During a Time of Uncertainty: A Report From the Trenches with Dr. Frederick “Jerry” Streets
Sept. 16, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM • Online
Yale Divinity School presents this interactive, reflective and practical session exploring creating a new mutual wellness covenant between pastors, the pastor’s family, and the congregation.

Unmasking Racism in Anti-Racism Education: Youth Ministry with the Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown • Online
Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 12:00 to 1:30 PM
Yale Divinity School presents this three-part series.

Celebrating Your Church’s Anniversary: Tips and Tricks for a Memorable Commemoration
Sept. 18, 1:00 to 2:00 PM • Online
The Congregational Library is hosting this roundtable discussion with those who have recently helped to plan and lead church anniversary celebrations. They will share advice on how to research your church’s history, balance planning and implementation, and engage your church and broader community.

Christianity and Comics: Stories We Tell about Heaven and Hell
Sept. 25, 1:00 to 2:00 PM • Online
Comics scholar Dr. Blair Davis pays special attention to how the medium’s unique use of panels, word balloons, captions, and serialized storytelling have provided vehicles for telling familiar biblical tales in new ways.

Hope and Fear in an Election Year with the Rev. Dr. Allen Hilton
Oct. 3, 12:00 to 1:30 PM • Online
In this Yale Divinity School session, Dr. Allen Hilton will offer strategies for sanity and practices that maintain community – even when our nation and neighborhood are divided.

Preachers, Hearers, Readers & Scribes Conference
Oct. 3 - 5
Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA
The Congregational Library & Archives, GEMMS (Gateway to Early Modern Manuscript Sermons) and Harvard Divnity School are hosting this conference, which will include a diverse range of panels and keynote speakers considering sermons in manuscript from 1530 to 1715.