ALL CONFERENCE E-MAIL 
February 24, 2010
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Remember . . .
Your OCWM (Our Church's Wider Mission) contribution to the ME Conference makes this email newsletter and the
numerous programs described herein available to you and your church.
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- New England Regional Youth Event deadline March 1
- Spaces left on Bus to Women’s Celebration
- Annual Meeting is Coming
- UCCOSSN meeting in Cleveland April 8-11
- ONA Workshop April 23-25 in Saco
- Clergy Spring Retreat
- Woodfords Church seeks Custodian
- Maine Seacoast Mission seeks new Executive Director
- BTS Open House for Prospective Students
- Ad lets President know the faith community is behind healthcare reform
- “What is your Church Worth?” Webinar from the Insurance Board
- Thought for the Day
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1. New England Regional Youth Event is Coming!!!
Registrations have begun for New England Regional Youth Event (NERYE) to be held on the Boston University campus in Boston, Mass. The registration forms can be found on the back page of the Event booklet which has been sent to every church or on line – just google New England Regional Youth Event, UCC. However, you need to pay attention to dates. All registrations of $100 postmarked by March 1st will receive a discount of $25 off the $350 cost for the event. Also, when you register, send Susie Craig a copy of your registration and check, as you will then qualify for scholarship help from Resourcing the Local Church. The first 30 registrations – of either youth advisors or young people will be eligible for this support.
All participants should also mark your calendars for our mandatory meeting of delegates and parents which will be held in Waterville on Saturday, May 15th from 1 – 3 pm. There we will discuss our plans for meeting the night before at the Saco Church, and for transportation from Portland by bus. For all of you planning to also go to Arts Alive, Bryan Breault is planning to have a Pilgrim Lodge van meet the train upon our return.
Any questions, please contact Susie Craig at susiecraigacm@aol.com.
2. Bus to Vermont – Final call – There are still a couple of seats available for anyone interested in taking the bus to the Women’s Conference in Burlington Vermont. To reserve your seat please contact Jeanne at High Street Church in Auburn at 784-1306 or e-mail at office@highstreetucc.org. The cost is $56.00 and pick up locations are Bangor, Waterville, Auburn and Portland.
3. As a typical New Englander, I am trying to ignore the cold and gray weather, and beginning to think ahead to spring and summer. Of course, that brings to mind the Maine Conference Annual Meeting is early this year, being held June 11 – 13, 2010. We will gather again at the Univ. of Maine in Farmington for a time of work and worship, fun and friendship. Our theme for 2010 is “Reframing Church” based on Acts 2: 17 “"In the days to come--is it our God who speaks--
I will pour out my Spirit on all humankind. Your daughters and sons will prophesy, your young people will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams."
So save the dates and watch future issues of ACE for more information on everything going on over the Annual Meeting weekend.
4. The 23rd UCCOSSN (UCC Office Support Staff Network) Annual Meeting will be held April 8-11, 2010 at the UCC National Offices in Cleveland, Ohio. Keynote speakers are Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President, and Edith Guffey, Associate General Minister of the United Church of Christ. For more information visit the UCC website at www.ucc.org
5. “GATHERED HERE 2010”- April 23 - 25
This is a weekend-long ONA workshop for the ME Conference sponsored by The Witness Life Commission and hosted by First Parish Congregational Church UCC in Saco. This event is offered in response to the resolution approved in June 2008 calling on the Conference to undergo study as to whether to declare itself an ONA Conference. This event is open to all members and friends of the ME Conference UCC and its churches.
Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer, Executive for Health & Wholeness Advocacy in the UCC Wider Church Ministries, will be joining us from Cleveland as our keynote speaker. Dr. Tim Brown, Youth and Young Adult Coordinator for the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns, will also join us as a speaker and presenter. Participants may choose from workshops covering a variety of areas of ONA study. ONA Churches in Maine will also be recognized and honored during the weekend. It would be great if each ONA church in Maine had a representative at the weekend. Of course, the more the merrier!
On Saturday evening, April 24, a Celebration Concert is being offered by Jason & deMarco. Jason & deMarco are secular and Christian recording artists and life partners. http://www.jasonanddemarco.com This concert will be open to the general public, so all are invited to attend whether participating in the full weekend or not. For more information, please contact Bill Walsh, 207-615-4556 or email to gatheredhere2010@gmail.com.
6. The Clergy Spring Retreat at Living Water Spiritual Center in Winslow is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 4-5, 2010. Our retreat leader will be Arla Patch, Society of Friends, who will provide a retreat titled Using Art as a Tool for Healing. Arla, who lives in Bryant Pond and is listed in the new Spiritual Resources Directory, is looking forward to spending this retreat time with us and to helping us to learn how the arts can be used for our personal renewal and transformation, as well as how we may use the same with our congregations. She is the author of two books, A Body Story and Finding Ground: Girls and Women in Recovery. These books will be available for purchase and signing.
7. Woodfords Congregational Church, U.C.C., Portland, seeks sexton/custodian. This is a part time (minimum 20 hours per week) position offering the benefits of paid medical & dental insurance (80%), pension, holidays, and vacation. The person we are seeking is self-motivated and able to work independently, but also able to work cooperatively with our current sexton and members of the church. This is a very public position and the person we are seeking must be courteous, respectful, and clean and neat in appearance. Some mechanical ability is also necessary.
The new sexton/custodian will be the primary person responsible for snow shoveling and lawn mowing and must be able to work outside summer and winter. Other duties will be setting up & dismantling meeting rooms, event duty person, general cleaning, small repairs, and monitoring of church equipment. Hours will be flexible, including some Saturdays, Sundays, or evenings as needed.
8. Maine Sea Coast Mission Seeks New Executive Director.
The Maine Sea Coast Mission provides spiritual, health, and youth development programs in coastal and island communities from the mid-coast to Downeast Maine. Rooted in a history of non- denominational service the Mission continues to embody the best of Christian values as it offers hope, encouragement and help to individuals, families and communities. Currently their search process is well underway, but additional applicants are still being received. Should you be interested in pursuing this possibility, please contact Mary T. Wheeler, Senior Vice President (mwheeler@drgnyc.com)
Or Jill Sarah Moscowitz (Jmoscowitz@drgnyc.com) Recruitment Associate at The Development Resource Group, 130 East 40th St, Suite 800, New York, NY 10016. Tel. 212-983-1600, Fax 212-983-1687.
9. Bangor Theological Seminary Open House for Prospective Students
Bangor Theological Seminary will be hosting an “Open House” at the BTS Portland Campus, 159 State Street, on Saturday March 13th from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
We invite you to explore opportunities for theological education at BTS. Learn about classes, degree programs, and financial aid as you speak with faculty, staff, and students. Lunch will be provided. At BTS you’ll find small class sizes and a special commitment to part-time, commuter and second-career students. Whether you want to answer a call to ministry or seek answers to spiritual questions, you’ll find what you need at BTS.
A similar event will be offered at the Bangor campus on April 17th.
For more information or to reserve a space, call Fae Gilbride, Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid: 800-287-6781 x126, email fgilbride@bts.edu or sign up online here
10. The Washington Interreligious Staff Committee on HealthCare (WISC-HC) and Faithful Reform in Health Care (the coalition of denominational and interfaith organizations that work together on health care) have contributed funds in the design an Ad which will be featured in The Hill (a widely read newspaper in Washington, DC -circulation 11,500 to Capitol; 400 to White House) today – the day before President Obama has his bipartisan summit on health care. The Ad lets the President know that the Faith community is behind health care reform!!!!!
The ad is full-page B/W and will feature the signatures of the heads of communion from national denominations and interfaith organizations. Look for Rev. Geoffrey Black’s name!!!!
In addition, the sign-on letter with over 5,000 individual and organizational names supporting health care reform will also be delivered tomorrow to Congress and the White House. Thanks to all our UCC members/churches and other faithful friends for signing this letter!
11. The Insurance Board is pleased to announce the start of its Webinar conference series, a new learning opportunity geared to church lay leaders and employees. The series will focus on Loss Control, Safety and related Insurance issues affecting your churches and related ministries. Use of the internet and the latest webinar technology will permit you to learn from your home or office in real time in an interactive environment with the session leader and your peers all over the Country. You have the choice of participating by voice or private chat throughout the sessions. You can get answers and share information in real time.
You can register for our next session(s) by clicking here.
Feb 23 11:00AM EST OR Feb 25 2:00PM EST |
“What is Your Church Worth?” |
Are you gambling your church? Do you know what it will cost to replace it? Do you understand ALL of the dangers of underinsurance? Information on Insurance Board valuation services. |
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You will see the list of Sessions. Click the one(s) you want to register for and then go to the bottom of the list and click the register button. You will be asked to enter your name and email. You will receive e-mail confirmation and meeting reminders. You have the option of adding the meeting to your Outlook calendar.
If there are other subjects you want to learn about, please email Carl Kotheimer or call him at 216.736.3244.
12. Live in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you.