Churches Join Together for World Communion Sunday

On Sunday, October 7, the Woodridge Congregational Church in Cranston celebrated World Communion Sunday in a joint worship service with the First Korean Church of Rhode Island, UCC. Both congregations use the sanctuary for Sunday morning worship each week, one service at 10 AM and the other at noon. And both churches have been worshiping in their fellowship hall since June while major renovations of the sanctuary were undertaken by the Woodridge Church. Sunday was the first Sunday back in their beautiful modern sanctuary; new carpet and new pews making the space stunning.

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$1 MilIion Grant Will Support Clergy Development

The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ has been awarded a $1 million grant for clergy development from Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will be used in collaboration with the Connecticut and Rhode Island Conferences, the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the New England Synod - ELCA Lutheran.

The Together We Thrive proposal was submitted under the Massachusetts Conference name, but was developed cooperatively by a team of people from each of the organizations and will be used by them together.

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Church Leaders Asked to Fill Out Justice Survey

The Vice President for Justice and Witness for the Rhode Island Conference Board of Directors is asking church leaders to fill out a survey that will help the Board gain clarity on how congregations understand and live into ministries of Justice and Witness.

The survey is also being offered to provide congregations with the opportunity to express how the wider church can support them in those ministries, and it seeks to determine how congregations in the Conference are living into the mission of Justice and Witness Ministries as defined by the United Church of Christ.

Read more and take the survey

Many Voices One Mission: More Frequent, More Intense

By The Rev. Don Remick, Transitional Interim Conference Minister, Massachusetts Conference

Some years ago, as a local church pastor and part-time staff with the Massachusetts Conference, I agreed to chair a long-term recovery team following the Holy Week Floods. These floods were the result of 2 back-to-back 12-15 inch rainstorms that came up the coast and dumped on New England. I oversaw long-term recovery for northern Massachusetts. I learned a lot. I had worked out Ground Zero, as it was then called, in the aftermath of the terror attack on the towers in New York. As a fire chaplain I worked with a team sent from the MA State Fire Marshall's office to support survivors, their families and, in particular, the emergency responders. Since those events I have been part of the Disaster Resource and Response Team of the MA Conference and have had the privilege of working with colleagues from CT, RI and beyond.

And we have learned one thing: In this uncertain world of climate change and global politics, disaster will come with greater frequency and greater intensity. And we have learned, in all disasters, how crucial the presence of church is for a community.

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Many Voices, One Mission is a regular series highlighting the ministries of the CT, MA, and RI Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Upcoming Conference Events

Registration Now Open!
Rhode Island Conference Autumnal Meeting 2018
Nov. 3, 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM
First Congregational Church UCC, Bristol, RI
To all Authorized Ministers, Delegates, Conference Board, Committee members and All Interested Persons! Everyone is welcome to join us for worship and the business of the Conference. We will come together as the Community of Christ. Celebrating our Rhode Island Conference Ministries.

Boundary Training
Oct. 11, 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Seekonk Congregational UCC, Seekonk, MA
Authorized clergy of the Rhode Island Conference are required to attend Boundary Training every three years in order to maintain their standing.

Autumn Youth Event: Music & More!
Oct. 12, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Seekonk Congregational UCC, Seekonk, MA
Youth (6th-12th grade) are invited to an evening of Faith, Food, Fun and Friends! There will be pizza, a pumpkin project, a youth concert and a special guest speaker on teen anxiety & stress, Fee $5

Retired Ministers Luncheon and the Ministerial Assistance Fund Trustees meeting
Oct. 17, 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Newman Congregational Church, Rumford, RI

Super Saturday
Oct. 20, 8:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Keefe Regional Technical High School, Framingham, MA
Join us for a full day of worship, workshops and networking. Keynote address by Dr. David M. Csinos, who writes widely about faith formation, children's ministry, youth ministry, and culture.

Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer to Preach at Newman UCC
Oct. 28, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Newman Congregational Church, UCC, Rumford
The United Church of Christ General Minister & President will be preaching as part of the church's 375th anniversary celebration.

Bus Trip to Visit 2 Rhode Island Churches
Nov. 8, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Join the Seekonk Congregational Church, UCC Woman's Group and the Rev. Dr. H. Daehler Hayes, RI Conference Minister Emeritus, to visit Central Congregational UCC in Providence and Slatersville Congregational UCC with a stop at Wright's Farm for lunch.

Classifieds

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Other Events Of Interest

Reviving Justice: Inspire / Connect / Act
Oct. 27, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
First Church of Christ in Simsbury, CT
Gather for worship, networking, and workshops. Connect with faith and community leaders who are working for environmental, economic, and racial justice. With preaching by The Rev. Dr. Damaris D. Whittaker.

Visit with Rev. Dr. Gordon Ellis
Oct. 13 & 14
Seekonk Congregational Church
Join the church for a special Dinner and Spiritual Concert by The Rev. Dr. Gordon Ellis on Saturday evening, Oct. 13th and for his preaching on Sunday morning, October 14th at 9:00 and 10:30 AM.

Beneficent Congregational Church 275th Anniversary Celebration
Oct. 20, 7:00 PM: Gala Anniversary Concert
Oct. 21, 10:00 AM: Home Coming Worship Service
Beneficent Congregational Church, Providence
Both will include special music by guests such as RPM Voices and the Providence Gay Men's Chorus.

Widening the Welcome
Nov. 1-3
Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara, NY
Workshops and panels; invited speakers include Traci Blackmon, Sarah Lund, Jennifer Brownell, and keynote speaker John C. Dorhauer, UCC General Minister and President.

Tending the Fire
Nov. 6-8; Jan. 8-10; March 12-14
Framingham, MA & Sharon, CT
This series of retreats helps clergy “think systems” in their congregations and their personal lives, so they can lead change that lasts.

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