ALL CONFERENCE E-MAIL
January 30, 2008

1. National Yearbook Forms Deadline
2. Spirituality and Stewardship Conference, April 4-5
3. NEAUCE Event, May 6-8
4. OWL Training in Portland, June6-8
5. National Youth Event News
6. Exotic Winter Escape For Couples
7. Sunday School Directors Conversations
8. Looking for Flannelgraphs
9. Organist wanted
10. Lenten Devotional Online

1. Tomorrow, January 31, is the deadline for the return of the National Yearbook forms. Remember, these are end of the year 2007 forms, so the information requested all refers to what you did in 2007. Your help in returning the forms to the Conference office is much appreciated.

2. Spirituality and Stewardship Conference to be Held April 4th and 5th in Worcester MA
The Northeast Ecumenical Stewardship Council will hold its biennial stewardship event for clergy and lay leaders April 4th and 5th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester MA. This year’s theme is “Pursuing the Disciplines of Stewardship.” Featured speakers include the Reverend A. Roy Medley, Bishop Margaret Payne, Bishop Peter Weaver, Bruce Rockwell, and Ed Hoyt. A host of workshops are also offered. This has always been a high quality event. Registration is limited to three hundred and the registration deadline is March 8th. Follow the link below for a one page flyer, the full registration brochure, and online registration: www.umfne.org

3. Save the Dates: NEAUCE Christian Education Event on Cape Cod in May 6th-8th
The full registration brochure for the annual New England Association of Church Educators CE event at the Craigville Conference Center is not yet available, but the theme for the conference is “Renewal, Rejuvenation, and Resources for the Emergent Church”. Featured speakers include the Rev. Dr. Ivy Beckwith and Susan Dickerman. There will be lots of workshops and great worship. The Maine Conference will once again offer fifty dollar scholarships to all Maine Conference participants.

4. “Our Whole Lives” Sexuality Education Curriculum Training to be Offered June 6th-8th in Portland
Training to teach the United Church of Christ sexuality education curriculum “Our Whole Lives” for the Grades 7-9/10-12 will be offered June 6th-8th at the Bangor Theological Seminary Portland campus, which is located in the basement of State Street Church UCC. Teaching times will be 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, 8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The cost is $175 per person ($75 for BTS students), plus the cost of curriculum materials. Churches wishing to use this excellent curriculum need to know that its use requires a minimum of two trained leaders (usually one male and one female). To find out more about the curriculum, this training opportunity, or to receive a full registration brochure, please contact the Resource Center at 1-800-244-0937, resourcecenter@maineucc.org .

5. Remember National Youth Event, July 23-29, 2008. Lots of new exciting information is posted on the Maine Conference website (www.maineucc.org) in the new Feb. 1 letter. We have confirmed that John Thomas will be present, as well as Valerie Tutson, and representatives from the “Tents of Hope”. Registration forms are also available at the website, or from your church office. If you have questions, please contact Rev. Susie Craig at susiecraigacm@aol.com or call the Conference Office at 846-5118.

6. First Parish Congregational Church Saco UCC is hosting special “date nights” this winter, (February 9 and March 8) to strengthen couple’s relationship. Dr. Ron Baard, Associate Professor of Mentored Practice from Bangor Theological Seminary will be facilitating these relationship seminars to which all varieties of couples are very warmly welcomed to attend. Each evening will include a time of enjoying delicious appetizers, delightful company, live music, and a one hour relationship growth seminar. Couples are then encouraged to dine-out at one of Saco/Biddeford’s many fine dinning establishments. So that couples may differently enjoy the evening, participants are encouraged to register their children for the “pajama party” hosted by the youth group in the lower level of the church from 5:30- 8:30. Cost of the event is $10 per a couple and includes appetizers and childcare. Please see our website www.firstparishsaco.org for more details.

7. First Congregational Church in Camden is building conversations between Sunday School directors, and teachers throughout our state. We're hoping to share motivational ideas, lessons stories, etc. If you would like to be apart of this e-mail group please write to Cate Lamb firebug_glass@yahoo.com.

8. Puppet Ministry Leader Lucy Hardy of the Wells Congregational Church is seeking flannelgraph figures and backgrounds to use in conjunction with this ministry. Figures between six and twelve-inch sizes are best, and all backgrounds are welcomed. Basic characters (usually in Biblical dress) of men, women, children, Jesus, disciples, animals, as well as stars, moon, sun, trees, etc. are needed. If you have some of these materials which you no longer use that you would like to pass on, please contact her by email at dhardy@maine.rr.com. so we can arrange pickup. Please contact Lucy before sending flannelgraphs, as she does not want to be inundated with materials! Thank you.

9. Organist/Choir Director. Lovell United Church of Christ. Pay commensurate with experience. Please send resume: Music Committee, Lovell UCC, PO Box 208, Center Lovell, ME 04016.

10. The Stillspeaking Lenten Devotional 2008 will be online at www.uccvitality.org beginning February 6.
This consists of a reading for each of the days of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, and extending through the week after Easter. It is based on the Revised Common Lectionary.
You may wish to bring this to the attention of the churches in your Conference.
The Lenten Devotional is another product of the Writers’ Group, chaired by Anthony Robinson. It is sponsored by the Congregational Vitality Initiative.