2012 Annual Meeting Resolutions
Resolutions to be voted on at the 2012 Annual Meeting.
The deadline is
February 21, 2012.
Resolutions to be presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting to be voted on at the 2013 Meeting. The deadline is
April 17, 2012.
Visit the link below for more information.
Annual Meeting Homepage
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| Greetings Members & Friends | |
Guest E-KIT Article
From the Minister
"The United Church of Christ ... looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God."
from the preamble of the Constitution of the United Church of Christ
| When asked where I serve as pastor, I usually say: "The Norwich Congregational Church, which is part of the United Church of Christ." So there are really two parts to my answer. The first names this local congregation, the second our covenantal affiliation with a larger body. When people start to ask about what the Congregational churches believe, I tell them that "Congregational" refers to polity rather than to a set of beliefs. Each local church is autonomous and takes responsibility for its own affairs, including its organization, worship and education. At the same time, we are in a cooperative and covenantal relationship with other UCC churches of our Association (The Windsor-Orange Association, which includes 24 churches), our Conference (The Vermont Conference) and the General Synod (a representative meeting at the national level.) Our relationship with the larger Church is voluntary, but we are urged to hold it in "the highest regard."
So each local UCC church has its own character and its own style of worship. They can be "conservative" or "liberal." They can approve or disapprove of resolutions made at General Synod or at Conference Annual Meetings. In the 2002 Annual Meeting, the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ declared itself to be an Open and Affirming Conference, and urged each local church to consider going through a process of discernment about adopting a resolution of its own. No church could be compelled to do this. This is because we believe that the power of the Holy Spirit resides in each covenantal group of Christians, with all the responsibility and autonomy this implies: in some ways a heavy burden; in some ways a delightful freedom. Our church spent time in discussion and discernment, and affirmed our version of an Open and Affirming Resolution (printed
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in the weekly bulletin) in 2005.
The preamble to the Constitution quoted above is a theological statement with the same kind of burden and freedom. When we claim as our own "the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers," it means that we have to learn about those creeds and insights. But the next sentence suggests that we do not necessarily recite those creeds: with each generation, we make this faith our own "in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God." Though we are anchored in tradition, we are given a long line, a long tether with which to explore authentic, faithful worship, thinking, and action.
I think that this gives members of local churches some "work" to do: thoughtful consideration of how our Scriptures are to be read and interpreted, prayerful investment in meaningful worship, eager exploration of mission and service. We may do this individually, as we ponder the words of the Bible and of sermons. We may do this in small groups such as the Wednesday Bible study or the Women's Retreat. Or we may attend the second hour classes that are frequently offered on Sundays. I find myself doing this work as I teach Confirmation classes and hear from the next generation, trying to make this faith their own.
If you are thinking of making any kind of New Year's resolution that has to do with your life as a member of this local church, I urge you to consider the words of our UCC Constitution preamble. We have "creative and redemptive work in the world," waiting to be done. I look forward to doing it with you.
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Mary
[Thanks to Rev. Mary Brownlow, pastor of the Norwich Congregational Church,
for permission to reprint this piece which appeared in The Lifeline, January 2012.]
Note: If you would like to share a guest article with the wider Vermont Conference audience, please sent it to Sybil McShane, Communications/Resource Coordinator at mcshanes@vtcucc.org.
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| Conference News |
Conference Ministers' Schedule
~Lynn Bujnak will be preaching at the Bethany United Church of Christ in Randolph on Sunday, February 5 and then meeting with church leaders.
~Pam Lucas will be attending the Woodbury Leadership Workshop at Anover-Newton (MA) Seminary on Thursday, February 2 and then meeting with graduating seminary students about ministry in Vermont on Friday. On Sunday, February 5, she will be preaching at the Weybridge Congregational Church and then attending the Wilmington Congregational Church Service of Closing.
~Jim Thomas will also be attending the Wilmington Congregational Church Service of Closing this Sunday.
Service of Closing
Wilmington Congregational Church, 13 E. Main St., Wilmington, VT, Sunday, February 5, 2012, 2:00 PM.
Click here to read an article in a recent issue of the Deerfield Valley News which details the difficult decision made by the congregation and what the future holds.
Women's Fellowship News
The Women's Fellowship Annual Meeting (postponed from September, 2011) will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2012, 10 AM - 2PM, 1st Congregational Church of Cornwall, 2598 Rte. 30, Cornwall, VT.
The theme is Telling Our Stories. Come be a part of our special event that celebrates our stories, an important part of where we come from and who we are. Hear the stories. Share your story. Learn how to tell you story and to gather stories about women in your local church.
We will also be honoring a few very special women from around our state. Two Vermont women received the Honored Lay Women Award at General Synod 28 in Tampa, FL last July -- Ms. Kathryn "Kaight" Althoff who is a member of the South Hero Congregational Church and Ms. Kay Clifford who is a member of North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury. Also to be honored are Rev. Margaret Stoddard, retired pastor of the Greater Hartford United Church of Christ and Lucy Parker, a member of the Dummerston Congregational Church.
Click here for more information and a registration form.
Conference Directory Updates
We have updated the Ministerial Listings in the online conference directory. You may access the directory at: http://www.vtcucc.org/docs/directory/VTCUCCDirectory2011-2012.pdf. The directory is password protected. Contact the Conference Office for the password.
Local Church Forms
It is again the time of year to fill out your Local Church Forms. All the annual Yearbook reporting forms are available to complete online (click on the "Access Database" link) or for download at www.ucc.org/research/yearbook.html. We will also have them available on the Conference website for downloading at www.vtcucc.org/churchforms.html. Please remember to keep a copy of the filled out forms for yourself either printed or electronically.
We would like as many people as possible to complete the forms using the online system. Forms can also be emailed to thomasl@vtcucc.org or mailed to the Conference office. (Remember to save the blank forms to your computer and then save them again after entering information before trying to email them.)
- Deadlines for filing online forms-March 1, 2012
- Deadline for mailing form G to the Conference-February 10, 2012
- Deadline for mailing forms E & F to the conference-April 15, 2012
For your convenience, hard copies of the forms were mailed to each church.
Vermont Academy of Spiritual Training - Continuing Education Opportunity
What: Christian Ethics
When: 1 PM - 4 PM, 2nd Saturday, February - June, 2012
Where: Richmond Congregational Church, Richmond, VT
Cost: $100.00; Instructor: Rev. Peg Slater
Ethics....what are they? Are Christian Ethics any different from "regular" ethics? Come explore the basics of ethical thinking and action as well as current ethical problems in our world.
Have you ever wondered what a VAST class was like? Come find out!
Join the VAST class in Richmond for a study of contemporary ethical issues facing today's Christian: introducing techniques in identifying, analyzing, weighing, and responding to ethical challenges.
Click here for an application form. Application deadline: February 2, 2012. Please contact the Conference Office right away if you are interested in this class.
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| Association News |
● Boundary Awareness Training, Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 9 AM - 3 PM, Grace Congregational Church, UCC, 8 Court St., Rutland, VT, sponsored by the he Church and Ministry Committee of the Southwest Association, with Rev. Pam Lucas and Mr. Harvey Bartlett. A Reminder that this training is required for ALL authorized ministers in the the Vermont Conference on a triennial basis. Call or email the Dorset Church Office to reserve a space - 802-867-2260 dorsetchurch@gmail.com.
● Grafton-Orange Association Spring Training Day, Saturday March 17, 2012, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Lyme Congregational Church, 1 Dorchester Rd. (off Rte. 10), Lyme, NH. Registration Deadline: March 7, 2012. Click here for brochure/registration form.
● Association Spring Meetings - click here for the information we have so far.
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| Annual Meeting News |
 Annual Meeting - Call for Workshops Workshops are a wonderful opportunity to share our gifts with the larger faith community, growing skills, while learning and living together as people of God. The Annual Meeting is a convenient way for a committee, a group, or an individual, to present their ideas, thoughts, and skills. Have you, your committee, or your group come up with an idea for a Workshop that you would like to present at this year's Annual Meeting?
We are at Vermont Technical College this year and as we celebrate another year in our unity as the Vermont Conference UCC our theme will be: Go Out In Joy!. As in years past, we are planning to have our theme presented throughout our time together. This year's focus is on the Arts. This topic is broad in its possibilities as we celebrate the gifts that God has blessed each of us with whether in song, paint, sewing, bread baking, knitting, history, or some other expression of art. The possibilities are truly endless with the reminder that our time is limited. This year our workshops will be divided into two time slots, and depending on the workshop's time requirements, will determine how many workshops one will be able to participate in, so stay tuned for the list of workshops that will be available!
For more information on submitting a workshop proposal, click here.
We are excited about this year's Annual Meeting and look forward to participating in the various planned activities! If you have questions, comments or concerns regarding Workshops, please contact Abby Gackenheimer, Annual Meeting Workshop Coordinator at abbymaegackenheimer@gmail.com or by cell 802-881-7760.
We look forward to hearing your ideas, thank you!
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"Irene" Disaster Recovery News
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Vermont Conference Irene Relief Grants Now Available
The Conference is now accepting grant requests from our congregations for unmet local needs. These are intended for members or other residents of the communities they serve. Grants may also be requested on behalf of local non-profit organizations, which will be considered pending availability of funds. Grant requests will not be accepted from individuals, and we ask that our congregations determine need and screen applicants based on actual hardships.
The grants are not limited to property damage or loss of personal possessions - a grant to purchase heating oil for a family that suffered losses and is under financial duress would also be considered appropriate. Further guidance is provided in the cover sheet of the application.
The form is available on the Conference website. Here is a direct link. Once completed, you can email, postal mail, or fax it to the Conference office.
An Invitation
Charlie McGill (CMagillVT@aol.com) reports: "all of you who helped with the work in Waterbury at Jeremy Ayres house on Elm Street are invited to an open house to see the 95%-97% completed house. The open house will be Sunday, February 5 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Joyous day!"
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Items of Interest
|  February is Black History Month - The month of February is a time of reflection of history; a tribute to those who have overcome suffering and injustice; and praise for a powerful and sustaining God. From the Amistad to the presidency, the United Church of Christ is forever entwined in the history of a people who stood with courage and pushed forward with faith. The Church House honors this rich legacy each February through worship, education and events. Use these resources to join us in celebrating an empowering history that defines us not only as people of color but as people of faith. Visit this resource page, and follow daily profiles of accomplished African Americans who thought boldly, acted differently, and had the courage to be themselves.
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 Super Bowl Champs To Be Decided At Vermont Church's Food Pantry Drive - The West Dover Congregational Church will be naming the 2012 Super Bowl Champ on Sunday, February 5th. As a church divided between die-hard Patriots and Giants fans, the upcoming Super Bowl match up between the two teams provided a heaven-sent opportunity to help their neighbors.
"After the flood this summer, some local businesses either closed or had to rebuild," explained the church's pastor, Rev. Emily C. Heath. "More local families than ever are either out of work or struggling, and some families who have never had to ask for help are now using the food pantry. We wanted to do more, so we thought this was a good way to both help the community and also capitalize on our church's football rivalry." From now until February 5th, the church will be collecting food items for the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry. Those donating will put their items in either the Patriots box, or the Giants box. During half-time on game day, the church will count up the donations in each box and determine which team is the true champ. The church is also inviting the entire community to join them at a pot-luck at the church during the game. Click here to read the Huffington Post article.
- - - - - - - - - - Clergy Tax Resources Now Available - The Tax Guide for Ministers - Filing Year 2011 and Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches 2012 are now available on the UCC Pension Boards (PB) website at www.pbcucc.org. Click here for all the tax resources available on the PB website.
- - - - - - - - - - New Faith Communities Today (FACT) Report on Growth - written by Kirk Hadaway with great information and graphs. Kirk writes that decline is more prevalent today than it was just five years ago and congregational economics are much more precarious. Still, many congregations in America are growing. What are they like and what are they doing? The report is comprehensive and engaging, with a few new insights, especially showing that urban and inner city congregations were more likely to have grown between 2005 - 2010 than others including suburban congregations. Another finding, that congregations willing to change were more likely to grow.
Click here to read the report. You can find all the reports from the FACT survey on this webpage: http://www.ucc.org/evangelism/fact/f-a-c-t.html.
- - - - - - - - - -  How Did We Do on Mission: 1? - Share your thoughts in this survey. How did Mission:1 resonate with you? Whether you are an individual participant or part of a congregation or group that participated in Mission: 1, we are seeking your reflections on the impacts of this denomination-wide event. The survey will close on February 15, 2012; so please be sure to complete it as soon as possible. We want to hear from you!.
- - - - - - - - - -  February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Faith Trust Institute is a great resource for engaging this topic alongside the UCC's Our Whole Lives curriculum. Check out the Bulletin Insert from FaithTrust. --Waltrina Middleton Minister for Youth Advocacy and Leadership Formation, United Church of Christ middletonw@ucc.org 216-736-3871 - - - - - - - - - -  Lenten Study - As a result of Mission 1 and the UCC's involvement with the Let's Move campaign, you are invited to join in a Lenten Study on "Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table," a seven-session curriculum for congregations that call us to integrate the commitments and practices of our faith into the way we eat. The study uses scripture, prayer and stories from the local and global community to explore five key aspects of our relationship with food.
The curriculum comes with a Leader Guide and a book of Readings for Action and Reflection. The Leader's Guide is laid out in an easy-to-follow format. It includes suggested lesson plans, leader resources and ideas for an optional meal that groups may want to share.
Go to http://www.ucc.org/justice/just-eating/ for more information.
- - - - - - - - - -  Gatekeeper Training Opportunity - The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) recognized the need for an educational awareness curriculum to stem the trend of death by suicide. NAMI NH took up the task of creating such a curriculum. It was a landmark piece of work based on "best practice" in education and prevention. It is called Gatekeeper Training. It's philosophy is that we are all our brothers keepers and that together we can prevent suicide from becoming the next pandemic disease in our society.
Last year, I and seventeen colleagues took a step beyond being Gatekeepers to becoming trainers certified in leading the Gatekeeper training. I was amazed to find that I am the only faith community person in our state to become one.
My colleagues and I would like to open the conversation within the faith community by presenting the Gatekeeper training to ANYONE in the faith community of the Vermont Conference. We need to know if you want this conversation to happen. Please respond to me directly at cubmf@yahoo.com or my training partner, Carol Plante at carol@ten-towns.com, if you are interested in participating in this training. We need to know that there are people willing to enter the conversation before we can make any definite plans as to when and where. The training is best done in groups of 15-25 at one time. It would require the use of a Powerpoint projector to present. The sessions would be a single day of between four to six hours. We might ask it to be a Brown Bag Lunch or if a church would like to provide a meal, that would be wonderful. There would be a nominal charge to produce the written materials for the training. We would entertain the thought of offering central locations around the state to present to groups if there aren't enough folks from one location that want the training. So, let us know if you or your church would like us to come and present the You Matter Gatekeeper Training. Together, we can make progress in reducing and eliminating suicide deaths in our State! Thank you. --Rev. Mike Ford Second Congregational Church, UCC, Hyde Park United Church of Johnson - - - - - - - - - - Transform Your Life ... Transform the World - Young Adults (Ages 21-30) looking for service opportunities in 2012? Don't miss your chance - application deadlines coming up soon! Click here for United Church of Christ Young Adult Service Communities (YASC) Network information. - - - - - - - - - -  Use Faith Practices? Take this survey to share how this congregational resource works for your church. This brief questionnaire is meant for users and trainers of Faith Practices in congregational and other settings. We are seeking feedback and information on this resource as it pertains to your particular experience and setting, so your response is greatly appreciated. The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Please be sure to complete the survey by Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your thoughts.
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Don't Forget the Following Events!
Ecumenical Advocacy Days - Is THIS the Fast I Seek? Economy, Livelihood and Our National Priorities - March 23-26, 2012, Washington, DC. Registration is now open. Click here for more information.
United Church of Christ Office Support Staff Network (UCCOSSN) Annual Meeting - 25th Anniversary Celebration: Silver Linings, April 12-14, 2012, UCC National Offices, Cleveland, OH. More information coming soon, check the website: http://www.uccossn.org/.
awakenings Conference, April 26-29, 2012, United Congregational Church of Holyoke, UCC, Holyoke, MA. Sponsored by the Hampden Association, Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ and Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ Pastoral Excellence Program.
The theme of the 2012 Conference is "Embracing Global Humanity" with Keynote Speaker Dr. Marcus J. Borg. Discount registration deadline: March 26, 2012. Click here for more information/registration.
Registration Now Open! - NEAUCE (New England Association of United Church Educators) Annual Conference on Christian Education - Welcome to the Living Stone, the source of life (1 Peter 2:5 The Message) - May 8 - May 10, 2012, Craigville Conference Center, MA. Click here for a brochure/registration. Registration deadline: April 1, 2012.
 National Youth Event 2012 :: July 10-12 (7-14) - NYE is an amazing gathering of youth from across the United Church of Christ gathering for incredible worship, fellowship, workshops, and experiences you will cherish for a lifetime.
As VT UCCers we have a unique opportunity to join with our fellow New Englanders and not only travel by bus to Purdue University, which makes the trip cheaper, but also to do a service project on the way. The service work is already planned for us in Ohio. We will depart July 7th and return on the 14th.
For more information visit the Vermont NYE Facebook group at National Youth Event 2012-Vermont or email Rev. Ryan Gackenheimer, Associate Pastor, 1st Congregational Church, Essex Jct., at rgackenheimer@fccej.org. Also check out www.ucc.org/youth for more information.
Click here for more Upcoming Events.
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Upcoming Webinars & Other Online Seminars 
- For a listing of webinars from the UCC Justice and Witness Ministries and Faith Trust Institute, "Growing Safe and Healthy Congregations and Families" Series, click here.
- For a listing of upcoming webinars from the UCC Center for Progressive Renewal, click here.
- For a list of upcoming conference calls/webinars from the UCC Pension Board, click here.
- For a list of upcoming webinars from the UCC Insurance Board, click here.
- For a listing of upcoming Alban Institute webinars, click here.
- For a listing of Andover Newton Theological School's 2011-12 Online Seminars, click here.
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| 2012 Ecumenical Carbon Fast |
Sign up now to participate in the 2012 Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast!
Thank you for your participation in the 2011 Ecumentical Lenten Carbon Fast. We hope you found it engaging, informative and transformational. We're writing to invite you to renew your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint by joining us again in the 2012 Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast.
Similar to last year, participants like you will receive daily email messages from Ash Wednesday through Easter with carbon reducing suggestions for you and your church or community group. There are many new suggestions- often the result of your feedback- as well as updated links and information in those suggestions which have been carried forward from 2011.
Participating last year does not automatically sign you up to participate this year. To join the 2012 fast, please click here or visit or Facebook page.
We hope you'll join us again!
The 2012 Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast is a project of NEREM (New England Regional Environmental Ministries). |
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Calendar
|  For Calendar items, please see the online Conference Calendar or the latest biweekly issue of E-Events Newsletter. To submit an event: click here. The next E-Events Newsletter will be published on Thursday, February 2. [Deadline to submit events: February 2, Noon]
Don't miss these other events:
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Stewardship Message for February
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Stewards of Our Relationship with One Another
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. - Luke 10:27
We belong to God; we belong to one another. In his book, Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen tells of a reunion with a former student, an experience that revealed to him the meaning of community: "It is the Christ in you, who recognizes the Christ in me... From now on, wherever you go, or wherever I go, all the ground between us will be holy ground."
During February, let us walk on holy ground, practicing the radical hospitality Jesus modeled. Starting with our most personal and intimate relationships and moving through expanding circles - of friends, relations, church family, co-workers, and others with whom we come in contact - we tend to the quality of our interaction in these relationships using spiritual practices of forgiveness, reconciliation, justice, openness, honesty, hospitality, shaping communities. We widen our circle, reaching out to unknown neighbors through local and ecumenical service organizations and UCC programs and networks. We participate in the One Great Hour of Sharing special mission offering, typically promoted in churches during February and received the first Sunday in March. As centers of hope and transformation, local churches guide people onto holy ground.
A message from "Stewards in the Household of God: a Resource for Holistic Year-round Stewardship" available from United Church of Christ Resources.
For monthly Stewardship messages from the UCC, click here. [This resource is a free service and is made possible by your gifts to Our Church's Wider Mission.]
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| Lectionary Gospel Lesson & Thoughts for the Week | |
The Gospel lesson this week is: Mark 1:29-39, where Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law and "many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons."
Here are some thoughts for the week:
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Our prayers do not change God's mind,
elicit his pity or reverse a sentence ....
They allow God to put into operation (in me and through me)
something He has willed all along.
- Hubert van Zeller
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There are two kinds of people:
Those who say to God, "Thy will be done,"
and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
- C.S. Lewis
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I find doing the will of God
leaves me no time for disputing about his plans.
- George Macdonald
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The purpose of all prayer
is to find God's will
and to make that will our prayer.
- Catherine Marshall
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To accept the will of God
never leads to the miserable feeling that it is useless to strive any more.
God does not ask for the dull, weak, sleepy acquiescence of indolence.
He asks for something vivid and strong.
He asks us to cooperate with him,
actively willing what he wills, our only aim his glory.
- Amy Carmichael
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