Synod Delegates Can Glimpse Vision for New Conference
Prior to considering the request of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences to join together to form a new conference, General Synod voters will have a number of opportunities to glimpse the vision for what lies ahead.
Right now, a resource paper developed by members of the Together As One Board of Directors and staff is available on the General Synod website. It begins with the statement:
Imagine…..
It is the year 2030, and people are asking “What happened here in southern New England? This part of the world is more just, more compassionate and peaceful than it was ten years ago. How is it that people are listening to one another more deeply, passing better laws, building healthier communities?”
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Wilton Church Sees Increase In Confirmations
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WILTON – When Lydia Gajdel came to Wilton Congregational Church two years ago, the confirmation class had seen the typical dwindling numbers of teens. There were about 4 confirmands at the church; a small number considering Wilton has one of the largest memberships in the CT Conference.
In May of this year, the church celebrated 12 Confirmations — a dramatic increase.
So how does a church increase its confirmation class three fold in two years?
"Relationships," says Gajdel, the Director of Christian Formation at Wilton.
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2019 CT Legislative Session Wrap-up
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The 2019 Legislative Session of the Connecticut General Assembly ended June 5th. There were several issues that Michele Mudrick, the Legislative Advocate for the Connecticut Conference, was following throughout the session. Legislation that passed with Conference support included bills on minimum wage and family and medical leave.
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Many Voices One Mission: From the Inside
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By The Rev. Chuck Ericson, Interim Eastern Regional Minister for the CT Conference, UCC
The United Church of Christ and the Connecticut Conference have been part of my life for all but my first four years. I was baptized, confirmed, married and ordained in a UCC congregation. My call to ministry came into focus as I went to conferences at Silver Lake. I have been present for more Annul Meetings and Association Committee on Ministry meetings that I can count. For 36 years I pastored in Connecticut Conference churches.
Throughout all of these life experiences, I would say that I knew our Conference and its staff pretty well ...
From the first moment I began serving our Conference as Interim Eastern Regional Minister, though, I was struck by how wrong I was.
Read the full post
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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.
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Starting With Scripture: Never Give Up!
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By The Rev. Kate VanDerzee-Glidden, pastor of the First Church of Christ in Glastonbury, CT
An active member of our congregation, Nancy, recently wrote a blog post that continues to inspire me.
A few years Nancy saw a license plate in the parking lot at the local grocery store. She snapped a picture, because she was having one of “those days.” You know, the ones where you ask yourelf, “Why am I even trying to do this? I should probably quit. This is never going to work out.” She was desperate enough that day to be taking life advice from a license plate - “Never Give Up!”
Nancy laughed at herself while she took the picture, but it helped. She kept going.
Read the full reflection
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Starting with Scripture is a weekly devotional written by current and former clergy and church leaders of the Connecticut Conference, UCC. Subscribe to receive the reflection each Monday at: ctucc.org/subscrib
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Conference Events
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Spring Interim Gathering
June 18, 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Congregational Church of Westborough, MA
Agenda for the Day: Together As One General Information, interim life in the new conference, Don Remick presentation: "Powerful Questions Can Change Your Church."
Clergy Camp
June 26 - 29
Silver Lake Conference Center, Sharon CT
Join fellow clergy for reflection, renewal, and worship in the woods.
CTUCC Racial Justice Training
July 23, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
First Congregational Church of Guilford, CT
This training seeks to unmask racism while creating a common language with which we can identify the social and institutional constructs of racism. Fulfills the training requirement for clergy.
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Classifieds
Other Events of Interest
2019 Craigville Theological Colloquy
July 8 - 12
Craigville Retreat Center, Craigville, MA
Faith & Science: The Choices We Make with Dr. Jennifer J. Wiseman and Professor Ron Cole-Turner.
