1. Thank you all
2. Above the Clouds Meeting, Oct. 20
3. Town Meeting Schedule
4. Planned Giving Workshops
5. Curriculum Workshops
6. Pilgrim Lodge Fall Work Day – Saturday October 27 – Chainsawers needed!
7. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
8. 50th Anniversary Retrospective Webcast
9. Church World Service Kit Drive
10. Clergy for Peace in Monument Square
11. Condolences
12. Risograph for free
13. Free Hymnals
14. Explore the Possibilities at Bangor Seminary
15. LEARN Seminars at Andover Newton

1. THANK YOU ALL. I am very grateful for everyone’s patience and cooperation. THANKS to everyone for printing their documents for Annual Meeting, it saved the Conference office lots of time and money. THANKS also to all the church office staff who have sent me their ACE e-mail addresses. Your prompt response is much appreciated.

2. The All Conference mission trip to La Vueltoza will take place in April 2008. This is the project we have called Above the Clouds. There will be an informational and organizational meeting for the trip this coming Saturday, October 20th at First Congregational Church UCC in Waterville from 10:00 to 12:00.

All those who are interested in being part of a 50 person mission team from the Maine Conference working to build 8 houses in this remote village should plan to attend. We hope that you can help us to get the word to those who would like to participate.
Thanks for your help and interest, Sally Colegrove for the Honduras Partnership Committee

3. Please remember to attend your local “Town Meeting” to discuss the assets of the Maine Conference and their future. Go to www.maineucc.org/townmeetings2007 to see the schedule for a meeting in your area.

4. Planned Giving Workshops to be offered November 3rd at South Portland and November 17th at Brewer. Two workshops on planned giving will be offered on Saturday mornings 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The Reverend John Heinl will lead the workshop at the South Portland Church on November 3rd. The Reverend Bricker Gibson will lead the workshop at Brewer First. Both workshops will focus on endowment and investment policies, how to develop a planned giving program in your church, and the vehicles available to implement a planned giving program.
We need a minimum registration of five people or three churches in order to hold a workshop. To register contact the Resource Center (1-800-244-0937, or resourcecenter@maineucc.org. The registration fee is five dollars per church, payable at the door. We encourage churches to send teams.

5. Curriculum Workshops to be offered November 3rd at Falmouth and November 17th at Dedham (Note change of location) Two workshops on Church School curriculum will be offered on Saturday mornings from 9;00 to 11:45 a.m. on Saturday mornings. They will be led by the Maine Conference Partners in Education. Both workshops will focus on introducing the new Bible-based "Gather 'Round" curriculum carried by the United Church of Christ, updating folks on the lectionary-based "Seasons of the Spirit" curriculum, and providing information about the workshop rotation model of doing Sunday School. We need a minimum registration of seven people or three churches to hold a workshop, and we encourage churches to send teams. To register contact the Resource Center (1-800-244-0937, resourcecenter@maineucc.org. The registration fee is five dollars per church, payable at the door.

6. We really need help this year. 20 large trees that were diseased or in danger of falling in populated areas were professionally dropped this fall. They are cut into 4 foot sections. We need people to help clean up the brush and branches. We also need anyone who is proficient with a chain saw to bring one and help cut the 4 foot pieces into fire wood. In addition, all the usual work of closing up camp needs to happen. Please come on up to PL and help us out. Be sure to bring a lunch, we’ll be closing the kitchen up.
More information is available at www.pilgrimlodge.org/fallwork.html

7. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence is encouraging all Maine churches to join in the effort to focus attention on domestic abuse, provide support and resources for victims and work to hold abusers accountable.
They have created a bulletin insert that would also be appropriate for resource tables and church newsletters during the month of October. It lists some facts about domestic violence and how clergy and churches can help, and is available on the Coalition’s website at www.mcedv.org We would encourage all churches to contact their local domestic violence project for resource materials, information and support, not only this month, but at any time during the year. Calls to the statewide toll free number will automatically be connected to the appropriate agency. And for more information online, please go to www.mcedv.org or to www.faithtrustinstitute.org.
Thank you for helping us in our mission to end domestic violence.

8. UCC 50th Anniversary Year End Celebration All Saints Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007. This 20 minute webcast features a retrospective look at our 50th Anniversary year. View it on your own computer at www.ucc.org/50 at 7 pm on Nov. 4. Go to www.maineucc.org/bulletininsert50 for a bulletin insert announcing this event.

9. Maine UCC Disaster Relief Team. Lori Whittemore and Leigh Kirchner from Yarmouth UCC want you to know about additional opportunities for you to get involved with disaster relief ministries. We plan a Church World Service kit drive between now and end of Nov. A truck will transport the kits to the warehouse in MD when we have enough to make a shipment. These kits can then be shipped around the world where they are needed the most. Please contact us at leighmk@maine.rr.com if you have kits you want to contribute. The contents of the kits can be found on www.churchworldservice.org under the tab “how can you help.” These include school kits, health kits, kids’ kits and clean-up buckets. This is a great project for your Sunday school. Any contribution toward transport costs is welcome and we can arrange to store your kits anytime they are ready. Lori is also organizing statewide efforts by UCC churches to be ready to respond to disasters here in Maine. There is still much work to be done as we saw with our own eyes last year on our trip to New Orleans, and we welcome your help.

10. When the Cumberland Association gathered at Annual Meeting, we were reminded of the power that religious voices can have as our Buddhist brothers in Myanmar advocate for peace in their homeland. We are inspired by this simple action – to stand in a public space, fully garbed in the vestments bestowed upon us with the blessing of ordination, protesting for peace. So, come and join other CLERGY FOR PEACE in Monument Square in Portland at 12 noon on Wednesdays. We will gather for the first time on October 10. If you have any questions, please call Rev. David Butler at First Parish in Gorham. We will gather for the first time on October 10. If you have any questions, please call Rev. David Butler at First Parish in Gorham.

11. Rev. David Avery’s mother died Wednesday, October 10, in Albany, N.Y. David is the minister of the First Congregational Church in Eliot. His email address, if you want to get in touch with him, is firstcongchurch@aol.com

12. Hammond Street Congregational Church has a Risograph copier (CR1610) that is no longer being used. This digital copier is a table top unit about 2’ by 2’ that copies at a relatively high speed. It is in good condition and yours for the taking. If you are interested, please call the office weekdays at 207-942-4381 between 9 am and 3 pm.

13. FREE-65 Methodist hymnals with organist book and 65 UCC hymnals. Please contact Nancy Perkins at 625-8215 or 625-7772.

14.. Come Explore the Possibilities at Bangor Theological Seminary
Portland Campus Open House: Saturday, October 20, 2007 (12:00-4:00)

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. At BTS you’ll find small class sizes and a special commitment to 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. Join us at the Portland Campus Open House on October 20th. Lunch will be provided.

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
Bangor Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. www.bts.edu

15. The last three LEARN seminars of the fall from Andover Newton are beginning soon. Don’t miss this opportunity to participate and to encourage others in your congregation to do so. Here’s a list of the seminars with their registration deadlines. For more information and to register go to www.ants.edu/learn.

“Prophetable” Stewardship – what every pastor and church leader needs to know about church finance October 15 – November 16 Registration Deadline: October 5

Intergenerational Ministry – ways to do ministry in a multi-generational context October 22 – November 16 Registration Deadline: October 12

Postmodern Practicalities – what all the talk about postmodernity is about and what it means for congregations October 22 – November 16 Registration Deadline: October 12

Limited scholarship assistance is available on a first come, first served basis. Contact Jeff Jones to learn more.