E-Connections

November 2009

1.  October Directory Updates

November 4, 2009

Pg 25
Little Rock, AR, Faith UCC – Remove Paul Pighee as Interim Pastor
Bridgeton, Bethlehem UCC – Closing on 11/08/2009.

Pg 27
Fulton, UCC of Fulton – new website: www.fultonucc.com

Pg 28
Kansas City, Country Club UCC – remove Scott Howell as pastor

Pg 30
St. Louis, Hope UCC – remove Karen Knodt as IN CP, add Ed Zumwinkel as Co-Pastor; add email address for Sarah McCann as smccann@hopeuccstl.org
St. Louis, Mt. Tabor UCC – remove Ken Mesle as Interim – using Supply until end of 2009
St. Louis, Parkway UCC – remove Joe Rowley as AP and add Margaret Philip as Acting AP

Pg 36
Basye, Jerry – please add to Directory, was left out in error. Address is 101 East Gay Street, Warrenburg, MO 64093; phone: 660-747-6815

Pg 37
Change Marilyn Gibson-Turner’s phone number to 314-884-5517

Pg 39
Ressler, Thomas – add cell phone 314-313-2327

Pg 40
Add Christopher Ross’ email: rev.fatmoses@gmail.com
 

 2.  November Parish Paper

November 4, 2009

Attached is the November issue of The Parish Paper, a two page newsletter edited by Herb Miller, Lyle Schaller, and Cynthia Woolever. Each edition will discuss issues, share ideas, or offer insights on an area of parish ministry. The topic for the November issue is: “Seven Roads to a Multicultural Congregation.”

Didn’t get the previous issues? Don’t know what The Parish Paper is? A statement from Jeff Whitman, Conference Minister can be found at www.mmsucc.org/resources/parishpaper.asp as well as past issues.

The Parish Paper is also available for you on the Conference Website www.mmsucc.org.  Just look for the link to Resources, and the drop down menu will offer Parish Paper as an option. We will post future editions of the Parish Paper on the website as we get them.

Below are some additional instructions on the use of The Parish Paper:

Our organization’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES

1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site.

2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.
 

 3. St. Louis Ministerium November 11

November 5, 2009

 -- YOU ARE INVITED TO --

The November Meeting of the St. Louis Ministerium and
A SPECIAL LUNCHEON IN HONOR OF OUR NEW CLERGY COLLEAGUES
Wednesday, November 11, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

at First Congregational Church of St Louis
6501 Wydown Boulevard – Clayton

10:00 a.m. Fellowship and Refreshments
10:30 a.m. Worship
11:00 a.m. Program
Speaker: Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez
Executive Director, Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls
11:45 a.m. Announcements/concerns/joys
12:00 noon LUNCHEON IN HONOR OF OUR NEW CLERGY COLLEAGUES
It’s a special welcome to those colleagues in ministry new to the Association since mid 2007
Cost: $9.00 per person. New colleagues are our guests.
RSVP: by this coming Friday, Nov 6, please, to Karen Safe - 721-5060 or ksafe@firstcongregational.org.

MEETING SPEAKER: Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez, a member of Pilgrim UCC, will tell us about the work of the agencies she serves:
The mission of the Interfaith Partnership is to promote peace, respect, and understanding among people of all faiths. IP provides opportunities for people of all faiths to come together through dialogue, education, celebration, social advocacy, and health programming.
Its partner organization, Faith Beyond Walls, is an interfaith-based nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteers and resources to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Please plan to join the St. Louis Ministerium on Wednesday, November 11 at First Congregational Church.
We hope to see you there!
 

 4.  Mission Meeting with Bishop Rose from Philippines

November 5, 2009

You are invited to a gathering at Southwood UCC, 7904 Raytown Road, Raytown MO 64188 on Sunday, November 15 at 6:00pm to meet Bishop Dulce Rose from the Northern Visayas Region of the Philippines. We will share food and fellowship as she shares stories about the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) and an interest in building partnerships. As we learned at our Bienniel meeting this past week, partnerships can take all shapes and sizes.

This past June a group led by Dr. Eleazar Fernandez from United Theological Seminary and Rev. Karen Aitkens, pastor at Bethel UCC in Kansas City visited with the Bishop in Tacloban, Leyte. Charlotte Ward from Southwood UCC and Bill Wootten from Immanuel UCC in St. Louis were part of this immersion experience.

Dale Parson, ACM along with the Bishop will share ways to be in partnership and build relationshps while we stand in solidarity with our Filipino brothers and sisters. Anyone who has an interest in learning more about the UCCP and partnership opportunites is invited to this special evening. We learned just recently that the Bishop was coming to the United States and could come to the Missour Mid-South Conference. Your presence would be a gift. If you are able to attend we invite you to bring a dish (anything from appetizer to dessert or anything in between) to share. Please RSVP to pkbethelucc@att.net or southwooducc@comcast.net or call 816-453-2628 or 816-353-9090.

Peace,
Karen and Charlotte
 

 5.  Krista Betz Party

November 9, 2009

Dear Friends: On November 29 the Eastern Association is hosting a Conference Wide celebration of the ministry of Rev. Krista Betz at Robller Winery in New Haven, MO from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. There will be a service to recognize the ending of an authorized ministry at 3:00. Here is a flyer for you to use to publicize our gathering and to invite members of your congregation to come and say thank-you and good-by to Krista. Krista has been serving as the acting part time Associate Conference Minister in our conference since September 2007 and will begin her new position as the interim conference minister of the Kansas Oklahoma Conference on January 1. I also want to invite your church to consider contributing toward a gift for Krista which we hope to present to her on the 29th. Please send your contribution to the conference office by Nov 25 and mark it – GIFT FOR KRISTA. I hope you can join me on the 29th as we thank Rev. Betz for her ministry with us.

Peace
Jeffrey Whitman
Conference Minister
Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC
 

 6.  Advertising Opportunity

November 11, 2009

GuideBook & Directory Advertising Opportunity

We have contracted Guide Book Publishing to produce a Guide Book and Directory for our Conference that will be updated and delivered directly to your homes and churches annually. This book will be the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of our Conference. The book is being provided at no cost to our Conference. Businesses are being solicited to advertise in the book. What better place to publicize your service or product than to the community in which you worship and are already recognized. To find out about advertizing in our book, please call Leslie in the Conference Office at 314-918-2605, 1-877-877-5884 ext 77605 toll free, or email leslie@mmsucc.org 
 

 7. Prayers for Julie Jennings

November 12, 2009

Our prayers are with Julie Jennings and her family on the death of Julie’s father last Friday night following a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s. A funeral service is being planned to celebrate and honor his life and vocation as a college choral professor and church music minister.

Julie serves as Chaplain at Evangelical Children’s Home in St. Louis. Condolences may be sent to Rev. Julie Jennings at 677 Cranbrook Dr., St. Louis, MO 63122.