All Conference E-mail
April 13, 2011
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Remember . . .
Your OCWM (Our Church's Wider Mission) contribution to the Maine Conference makes this email newsletter and the
numerous programs described herein available to you and your church.
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- Spring Clergy Retreat with Barbara Brown Zikmund
- Maine Conference Annual Meeting Info Available
- Seeking Sunday School Director
- Seminary Scholarships Available
- In the Resource Center
- Partnering with a Green God
- BTS Graduation on May 20 in Bangor
- Research Internship in Mexico
- A Funny
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1. Spring Clergy Retreat is coming soon. This year’s spring retreat, led by Barbara Brown Zikmund, is entitled “Does the UCC Matter?” This retreat will explore the experiences of clergy in the UCC and how our denominational covenants support, or do not support, local ministry. Come with a story to share. We will gather at the Living Water retreat center in Winslow, Tuesday, May 17 with registration beginning at 12:30 pm, through lunch on Wednesday, May 18. All clergy, active and retired, Members in Discernment and seminary students are invited. Cost is $125 for overnight and meals, or $90 for commuters with meals. Click here for the registration form.
2. “Called to Tell the Story” is the theme for the 2011 Maine Conference Annual Meeting, to be held at the University of Maine in Farmington, June 23-26, 2011. Join with church members from around the state and learn new ways to tell the “old, old stories of Jesus and his love”. Registration forms, workshop descriptions and much more can be found on the Conference website www.maineucc.org A block of rooms has been reserved at the Comfort Inn in Wilton for those who choose not to sleep on campus. Be sure to mention the Annual Meeting, United Church of Christ when registering to receive the reduced rate. Reservations must be made before May 23 to be eligible for the Conference reduced rate.
3. The Cornish United Church of Christ, a small but mighty congregation, is interested in providing a Sunday School every Sunday of the rest of the 2011 year for any family who might be interested in participating with us in worship. Thanks to the generosity of our Ladies' Guild, we are able to offer a modest stipend for a Sunday School Director who would help organize our volunteers and deliver our Sunday School program. Inquiries of interest should be directed to Karen James at karenjames63@myfairpoint.net or our pastor, Charles Ihloff, at cei@pivot.net
Our friendly, little congregation will be most grateful for your interest in this position.
4. Attention Seminarians! The Witness Life Commission of the Maine Conference UCC offers scholarship assistance to seminarians who are Members in Discernment/ In Care in an Association in the Maine Conference. Applications must be submitted by May 15, 2011. The Scholarship Application can be found on the Maine Conference website at Please complete and submit it as indicated on the application. If any questions, please contact Bill Walsh at 207-615-4556 or billwalshjr@gmail.com
5. In the Resource Center!
The Teaching of the 12 by Tony Jones
How did the first Christians practice their faith? The Didache, an early handbook of an anonymous Christian community, "is the most important book you've never heard of." It spells out a way of life for Jesus-followers, including how to love one another, how to practice the Eucharist, and how to take in wondering prophets. Likely written before many of the New Testament books, this little-known text can enlighten the way that Christians are church, today. Tony Jones unpacks the ancient document with insight and perspective, and traces the life of a small house church in Missouri that is trying to live according to its precepts. It includes a new contemporary English translation of the complete text of the Didache. Please remember that the cart for the online catalog is not working, to order any resources send emails to resourcecenter@maineucc.org. Or call 1-800-244-0937 or 207-846-5118.
6. Partnering with a Green God: Calling People of Faith to Environmental Ministries is co-sponsored by the six UCC Conferences in New England, and features keynote speaker Bill McKibben, founder of the environmental organization Step It Up and 350.org, a global warming awareness campaign.
Held on May 6-7, 2011 at Silver Lake Conference Center (Sharon, CT). Twenty-two (22) outstanding workshops are being offered, there will be two environmentally-themed worship opportunities, including Friday evening worship with guest preacher, The Rev. Robert B. Coleman from Riverside Church in New York City.
Online registration—including registration for workshops—is available by following this link: http://www.ctucc.org/greengod/.
Scholarship assistance is available from the Witness Life Commission. Contact Steve Hastings at shastings@fairpoint.net or 207-468-3692
7. BTS invites everyone to sign up for one of our fabulous summer intensives. Please click on the link below and check out the range of fascinating courses, instructors, and timeframes.
http://www.bts.edu/registrar/courses/2010/smr11schedule.htm
In addition, we invite everyone to our Commencement 2011 at Gracie Theater, Husson University, Bangor, on Friday May 20 at 1PM (this ceremony lasts for approximately one hour). The speaker will be the Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. Dr. Forbes is the Senior Pastor Emeritus of Riverside Church in New York City and President of the Healing the Nations Foundation. He enjoys the reputation of being one of the finest preachers in the country. To be sure, it is worth taking a day off work to hear him speak and to see our students graduate! Please join us. If you have questions, please email Lesley at lheiser@bts.edu
8. Research Internship in Mexico June 30-August 1, 2011
Theme: “Sustainability, Migration & NAFTA”
This unique inter-cultural program joins activists, students and faculty in study of corporate globalization and its alternatives. 2011s theme: Learn how NAFTA pushes campesinos off the land and observe creation of sustainable options by solidarity economy practices.
The first two weeks are for intensive study of Mexico’s history, politics and economics - with an outstanding faculty of academics and activists from the global North and South. The second 2-week segment Interns go to rural communities that are countering migration pressures with solidarity economy alternatives.
The Center for Global Justice is a bi-lingual global network of educators and activists devoted to "research & learning for a better world” (www.globaljusticecenter.org). All inquiries for this 4th annual internship: intern@globaljusticecenter.org
Cost: $1,800 for housing, meals & program. Some partial scholarships available. To apply by May 1: send a letter of interest; resume; & a recommendation to intern@globaljusticecenter.org
Mail from U.S./Canada: 9902 Crystal Ct. #107, Laredo TX 78045
9. A man is driving along a highway and sees a rabbit jump out across the middle of the road.
He swerves to avoid hitting it, but unfortunately the rabbit jumps right in front of the car.
The driver, a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulls over and gets out to see what has become of the rabbit. Much to his dismay, the rabbit is dead.
The driver feels so awful that he begins to cry. A beautiful blonde woman driving down the highway sees a man crying on the side of the road and pulls over. She steps out of the car and asks the man what's wrong.
"I feel terrible," he explains, "I accidentally hit this rabbit and killed it."
The blonde says, " Don 't worry." She runs to her car and pulls out a spray can.
She walks over to the limp, dead rabbit, bends down, and sprays the contents onto the rabbit.
The rabbit jumps up, waves its paw at the two of them and hops off down the road.
Ten feet away the rabbit stops, turns around and waves again, he hops down the road another 10 feet, turns and waves, hops another ten feet, turns and waves, and repeats this again and again and again, until he hops out of sight.
"What is in that can? What did you spray on that rabbit?"
The woman turns the can around so that the man can read the label.
It says.
"Hair Spray -
Restores life to dead hair, and adds permanent wave."