1. Save the Trees!
2. Cool Program
3. Disaster Relief Team Opportunities
4. Making Children a National Priority
5. Employment Opportunity at Seafarer’s Friend
6. Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall in Lewiston
7. Support Staff Network Retreat Oct. 16-17

1. Just a reminder, please remember to print and bring with you to Annual Meeting, all of the printed material that you will need to follow and participate in the business of the meeting. In an effort to be ecologically sensitive and cost effective, we will not be providing copies of the reports, resolution, etc. (ie: piles of paper) at Annual Meeting this year.

2. Dear Clergy friends, Here is a cool program on faith and development, next Thursday morning Sept. 27 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Portland Country Club. Clifford is one of the organizers; he worked with the speaker for years. It is open to the public. The cost is $40 for non-members, Clifford and I are working to get you the member rate, which is $25. If you are interested, call the World Affairs Council or us at 878-5942 and we can put together a table. I will be there. From Susan Gilpin

3. Maine UCC Disaster Relief Team. Lori Whittemore, Anne Hagstrom, 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 the end of Oct. A truck will transport the kits by mid November. 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. Any contribution is welcome and we can arrange to store your kits anytime they are ready. We also plan an adult mission trip this spring to New Orleans to continue the relief work we got involved with last year. Please contact us if you are interested in this mission work. There is still much work to be done as we saw with our own eyes, and we welcome your help.

4. The UCC Collegium of Officers has signed the letter indicating their support for making our children a national priority. We urge you to please take a moment now and sign the letter from state, regional and local faith leaders to the President and Congress. We have a week to saturate the halls of Congress with our voices and cries of justice for our children! Please sign and then forward to other state and local faith leaders that you know. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1973/t/3485/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=714

5. Seafarer’s Friend, formerly Boston Seaman’s Friend Society, is seeking to find a person of vision and experience in ministry to become the new Mission Director for the port of Boston/Chelsea, Massachusetts. This is an excellent opportunity to grow and lead in a mission-driven, multi-faceted organization that allows both mentoring and ministry as it provides effective ministry to seafarers and the port community. To learn more about Seafarers Friend see the web site at www.seafarersfriend.org or call 617-889-3222 to arrange for a tour and visit. To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume to: director@seafarersfriend.org. This search will remain open until the position is filled, however we seek to have the individual on-site by January 1, 2008.

6. The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall will be displayed to the public and open for visitation 24 hours-a-day September 28-30 at Veteran's Park in Lewiston, ME. Free events include an opening ceremony with a flyover of a P-3C Orions, a display of Vietnam POW artifacts, a daily reading of 353 names on the Wall from Maine and a candlelight ceremony. In some ways, this memorial provides a new way to heal the wounds of the past.

7. The Maine Conference Support Staff Network is pleased to be sponsoring a retreat at Rockcraft Retreat Center on Rt. 114 in Sebago. All paid and volunteer office support staff people are invited. We begin Tuesday, Oct. 16 at noon and will finish after lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007. During this retreat we will learn how to nurture ourselves and renew ourselves spiritually so that we can enrich our ministry in the church office. We will also have time to share our joys and concerns, relax and have great fun and fellowship. The cost is $50.00 a person which includes 3 meals, lodging and linens. Scholarships are available. Watch for the upcoming mailing or contact Joan Morton at nwuc@juno.com.