ALL CONFERENCE E-MAIL
August 25, 2010
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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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- “Making Friends of Church Numbers” seminar
- Christian Education Director wanted
- “Widening the Welcome”
- New in the Resource Center
- BTS Student seeks housing
- Pension Boards presents Retirement Seminar
- Verizon Wireless offers UCC a discount
- Kids see things differently
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1. For many pastors and lay leaders, reviewing and managing church financials can create a bit of anxiety. “Making Friend of Church Numbers” a one-day seminar, will help non-financial people develop comfort and skill with church numbers.
You’ll learn more about:
- Basic financial statements – how they’re created and what they tell us
- Developing a narrative budget – great for inspiring generosity in your church
- Policies and procedures every church needs to protect the organization, its people, building and funds.
Presented by the UCC Cornerstone Fund, “Making Friends” will be held Saturday, September 18 at First Congregational Church in Waterville. For more information, visit the Maine Conference website (www.maineucc.org) and follow the link to “Making Friends of Church Numbers” To register call Sue Stevens at the Conference office – phone 800-244-0937 or 846-5118 or e-mail to conference@maineucc.org
2. Christian Education Director. Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Hallowell, Maine, is searching for a Christian Education Director. The Director will coordinate our existing small, but enthusiastic, Christian Education program for children and youth. We are especially interested in candidates who can help us expand our program and our church school. The position is about ten hours per week. Compensation will be negotiated based on experience and the church budget. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to: Old South Church, P.O. Box 508, Hallowell, Maine, 04347 or oldsouth@gwi.net
3. As chair of the National Disabilities Ministry, Peggy Dunn invites you to attend the national gathering, “Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All.” It is hosted by our UCC Mental Illness Network and Disabilities Ministries, Sept. 23-25, 2010, in St. Louis. If you want to learn about what congregations are actually doing and implementing around A2A (Accessible to All) and Mental Health Ministry, or you want to know about the connection/interface between spirituality and mental illness/brain disorders and disabilities. Go to www.wideningthewelcome.com, to see all the leaders and all the details for registration.
4. New in the Resource Center!
The Carpet Boy's Gift by Pegi Deitz Shea
This is the story of a young boy and his fellow workers that are bonded laborers, children that work day and night to pay off loans their families have accepted from the factory owner. While feeling pride in helping their poor families they also feel trapped, wishing they could go to school. One day Nadeem meets a former carpet boy named Iqbal Masih who leads a parade to celebrate a new law to abolish child labor. Iqbal encourages Nadeem to help the other children find the freedom due them.
5. A BTS senior who commutes from VT is looking for a place to live this school year in the general Portland area. I am looking for an inexpensive small apt. or shared living situation. Unfortunately I am allergic to cats and also need a non-smoking place. Email is a good way to reach me -- suevt@hotmail.com -- or my cell phone is 207 615-8291. Thank you, Sue Cole
6. The Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ will present a Retirement Seminar on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 at the Holiday Inn, 1068 Williston Rd, South Burlington, VT 05403. This seminar is designed to provide members – clergy and lay – with important information to help make the transition to a new stage in life as easy as possible. To register, contact Sharon Thomas, Member Education Services Coordinator, at 800-642-6543 ext 2712 no later than Friday, Oct. 8th. The seminar is offered at no cost, and a one time stipend is given to each member to help defer your travel expenses.
7. This is to announce that Verizon Wireless is offering a corporate discount to the United Church of Christ. If you have a Verizon phone in your name, you may take advantage of a 12% discount immediately. Please use the link below to register existing accounts, activate new service, or upgrade existing equipment with a 12% discount. To register for the discount, click below, enter your zip code, scroll to the bottom of the page - select enroll, and then register your information.
To register for 12% discount click here: https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=b2eItem&action=domainAuth&token=AWsQK1gV394HYR8XBU54SzvK34043GCP6244bT3L7uk05Ns1jjtqr0OlmO4SJ85yfPE7FhnNkfDTw3bTqzzvX3cETG0pW25Vs5fSlbbsbwl9AdY8yu96nG32NKcSh5xY
Alisa M. Lewis
Human Resources Director
United Church of Christ
8) A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.
'Mama, look what I found,' the boy called out...
'What have you got there, dear?'
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, 'I think it's Adam's underwear!'