Dear Friends,

We have some very good news! With the restructuring of the national offices of the United Church of Christ, the Proclamation and Identity team in the President’s office have found a way for us to make available to every member of the Maine Conference, our Conference publication of the MainStay and the United Church News. Currently only a few church leaders, and the pastor receive the Conference newspaper. The Coordinating Council of the Maine Conference is very excited about this new development and urges you to participate in making this available to your members. This new format will be available beginning with the General Synod edition of the UCNews this summer. There is no additional cost to your church or to the Maine Conference for each member to receive these mailings.

In order to have your church participate we need you to send your church’s mailing list to Publishers Information Center (PIC). We have enclosed a “How to” sheet to get your membership data to PIC. The sooner you are able to get this information to PIC the sooner all your members will be receiving MainStay.

You will need to know your church’s ID # and we have enclosed a list of all Maine Conference churches with their ID number. Please know that your addresses will not be sold or given to any other organizations.

If you choose not to participate the members who are currently receiving MainStay will continue to receive it.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact either of us, or Editor of the MainStay.

There is so much good news in our Conference and in the wider United Church of Christ. Unfortunately, too little of it gets shared. We hope you will encourage your congregation to make this available to your members so all can read it for themselves.

Joyfully,

David Gaewski
Conference Minister