House Keeping 101: Preparing for Guests

Friends, let me be honest with you. My sister and I are very different when it comes to how we “keep” our house. My sister’s house always looks like it could be on the cover of the “Beautiful Homes of the Southwest” magazine! She is the person who keeps a clean house and even organizes and wipes down her counters before her monthly cleaner comes. The house always looks pristine. If keeping a clean and well-kept house has some genetic predisposition, she got all those genes. Now, my house, looks... shall I say, “lived in.” Meaning clean laundry may sit around in the living room for a couple days before being put back in its proper place. A dish or two (or three) might sit in the sink to be washed until there is a clear sense that it is time to do the dishes (cue overflowing). Usually this means there are no more forks in the silverware holder, or I can’t find one of my 3-4 favorite coffee mugs. Then I know it is time.  BUT... when I know guests are coming, family for a weekend, friends for dinner, I become a cleaning machine!!!  After a two-hour cleaning frenzy, I can look around and see a house ready to welcome guests. I want to send a picture to my sister and say, “See I can do it, too!” and I always make a commitment to myself that I will keep it this way all the time. 

Friends, September is a time in our churches when guests will come for a visit!!!  How do things look???  I know for me; I get used to what my family lovingly calls “Patty Piles!”  I don’t always notice the cobwebs in the corner.  September is a good time to see if there is anything (piles, cobwebs, outdated notices on the bulletin board) that you have gotten used to and might not even see.  We tend to see the church we love so much and can’t live without, with rose colored glasses!!!  FYI:  

The phrase "rose-colored glasses" is an idiom that means to view things in an optimistic or cheerful way, often without a valid basis. It can also refer to a tendency to only see the positive aspects of a situation while ignoring the negative ones.

September is the time when guests come for a visit, and we need to take a look around our space with glasses that give us 20/20 vision!  This is a great way to spend a council meeting!  Maybe invite a regular visitor to do a walk through and give you feedback.  Perhaps, invite someone who has never been to your church before to visit (like the Phantom Gourmet), give them a check list and feedback form of what is great and could be improved about your space, your welcome and your worship.

OK... you can say it!  This IS House Keeping 101.  AND the truth is, the guests are coming!!!  Will you be ready???

May it be so!

Blessings,

Patty Kogut, ACM

Rev. Dr. Patty Kogut is the Area Conference Minister for the Southeast Region (Barnstable, Old Colony, Pilgrim and Rhode Island Associations).

Rev. Kogut can be reached by email at kogutp@sneucc or by phone at 508-244-4416. 

SAVE THE DATE! ~ November 3, 2024 at 2:00pm ~ Southeast Region Fall Fellowship at the Second Congregational Church, UCC, Attleboro, MA with Keynote Speaker: Dr. Erica Dollhopf, Director Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD), United Church of Christ, National Ministries

Barnstable Association

Old Colony Association

Pilgrim Association

Installation ~ Rev. Timothy Garvin-Leighton ~ Sept. 22, 2024, Church of the Pilgrimage
Ordination ~ Kim Engle ~ Oct. 6, 2024, Church of the Pilgrimage

 Rhode Island Association

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).

Ordination Anniversaries for July

10 Years
The Rev. Frederick Hayes - 9/26/2014

15 Years
The Rev. Theresa Stirling - 9/27/2009

35 Years
The Rev. Sue Moenius - 9/24/1989

45 Years
The Rev. Paul Thomas - 9/30/1979

55 Years
The Rev. William Geertz - 9/28/1969
~~~
2024 MILESTONE CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES
 
 Second Congregational Church, Cohasset - 200 years
Central Congregational Church, Attleboro Falls - 150 years

 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.

More Than 200 Attend Justice Summit to Take on Politics as an Act of Faith The 3rd Annual Justice Summit: Politics as an Act of Faith, presented by the Southern New England Conference's Center for Transformational Leadership, was held Saturday, September 14, 2024, at the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. This day-long hybrid program aimed to equip local church leaders, both lay and clergy, to engage with politics as people of faith, and was open to people from any denomination, as well as other UCC Conferences.  Read more   Read more about the keynote, in which Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. Challenged Christians to Take Tangible Steps to Oppose Oppression and Injustice. New & Updated Visitation Resources Available Updated in 2023, the UCC Handbook for Visitation is designed to support those doing visitation, whether new to this ministry or experienced. Our role in connecting with people on behalf of the church is a significant part of ministry, and this handbook will guide and empower you as needed. Project Proclaim Launches Labs, Cohort Groups & Online Learning Project Proclaim, the compelling preaching initiative of the Southern New England Conference, is launching multiple opportunities for lay and clergy to get engaged with the project this fall, including learning cohorts, an in-person proclamation lab and online Bible and preaching courses.   Read more Center for Transformational Leadership Announces Events for the Season The Center for Transformational Leadership, the Conference’s hub for programming and resources, has announced its schedule for the program year including workshops, retreats, lunch & learn sessions and more.   Link: https://sneucc-email.brtapp.com/viewemail/4053268. Church Life Cycle & Capacity: A Snapshot of Your Church’s Vitality Sept. 25, 7:00 to 8:30 PM • Online  or Oct. 8, 7:00 to 8:30 PM • Online This hands-on workshop includes information about church life cycles, opportunities often available at each stage of the life cycle, and the kind of capacity (financial, leadership, health, etc.) needed. This gathering is for church leadership groups. Clergy Wellness Retreat - North Central & Northeast Regions Wednesday, October 2, 2024  9:30 AM to 3:00 PM   Congregational Church of Littleton 330 King Street Littleton, MA 01460 This is the last in the series of four Clergy Wellness Retreats that the Southern New England Conference and the UCC Pension Boards partnered with to offer to SNEUCC clergy during the 2023-24 Program Year. Click here to learn more and to register.     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 at:  holmesd@sneucc.org Northeast, Southeast & Southwest Regions: Lynn Varney at:   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 Northeast 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.

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 Southeast 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.