All Conference E-Mail
Conference Dues for 2018 are $15.43 per member.
Come with the Maine Conference to Italy! Join Sally Colegrove and Susie Craig for a Spring Adventure in Italy! 

Tens Days and Eight Nights 
April 24 - May 3, 2018 
$3350 per person 
Art, History, Food, Fellowship, Faith 
The glory of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, a mass audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square, the Colosseum and Forum
 
 
HONDURAS PARTNERSHIP  
Subirana Trip
 
WE'RE GOING,
but we have room for a couple more medical staff and a couple more folks who can do light construction. The trip date dates? January 30 - February 8, 2018.
Here is a link to 2 pages of information:
 
 and a link to our webpage:
 
 And you can visit our Partnership Facebook Page at "Maine Honduras Partnership." 
Key 2017 and 2018 Dates Related to Future Giving
 
As the end of 2017 looms in the not to distant future the Maine Conference, UCC wants to remind you of certain deadlines just around the corner. In order for gifts donated to your church to be included in the count for 2017 they must be received by the Conference Center or postmarked on or before January 16, 2018 to be considered a 2017 gift.
Any gifts from a church received here at the Conference Center or postmarked after January 16, 2018 will be considered a 2018 gift.
 
Please remember a written pledge of an unconditional promise to give if received on or before December 31, 2017, AND paid on or before January 16, 2018 (or postmarked), is a 2017 gift.

If it is your church's desire to received credit for Year 2017 gifts, please make sure the gifts arrive at the Conference Center or are postmarked on or before January 16, 2018.
Where to find Anne Hodgman
 
Monday and Wednesdays from 9am to 2pm in the Accounting Office
annehodgman@maineucc.org
 
Monday and Wednesday afternoons from  
2 - 5pm, Tuesdays 9am - 5pm, and Fridays from 11am - 5pm in the Executive Assistant Office. conference@maineucc.org
 
You will find Anne in the Resource Center on Thursdays from 9am - 5pm
Fridays from 9 -11am  
resourcecenter@maineucc.org    
Resource Center Email is only monitored on those days.    

The Resource Center Library cart is now working, or you can send requests to resourcecenter@maineucc.org
or call 1-800-244-0937 or 207-622-3100. Please be aware that once you enter a search item you will be taken to a page that says "Grace Presbytery" in the upper left hand corner. You are in the right place. This is our catalog web host. The Resource Center is the lending library for the Maine Conference.
Events
 
Falmouth Congregational Church UCC
Side Door Coffee House
Friday, December 8th
Doors open at 6:30pm
Music by local artists Katie Daggett and  
Bob Stakel View Poster 
 
Christ Church Kennebunk
St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble
Wednesday, December 13th  
Russian Icon Art Display beginning at 6pm
Followed by a Concert at 7pm.
6 Dane Street, Kennebunk.  
 
Falmouth Congregational Church UCC 
St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble
Friday, December 15th
7:00pm
The men's ensemble sing A  Capella Russian classical and folk music. View Poster  
 
Centre Street Congregational Church in Machias
will celebrate the Ordination and Installation of Susan Maxwell on Saturday, January 6, 2018
beginning at 11AM. View Invitation  
Holiday Fairs
 
Windham Hill UCC
Festival of the Trees
December 1st - 3rd
Various Hours over the three days it is open.
Starts Friday December 1st at 2pm.
Press Release
View Poster
  
Blue Point Congregational UCC Annual Christmas Fair
Saturday, December 2nd 9am - 2pm
Featuring local crafters, wreaths, center pieces, bakery table, raffles and Grandma's Attic.
Fresh Haddock Chowder lunch starting at 11am to 1pm. 236 Pine Point Road, Scarborough.

First Congregational Church of Buxton
 Torrey Hill Meetinghouse Christmas Fair
Saturday, December 2nd
9am - 1pm
Parish House Rte. 4A, Buxton

West Parish Congregational Church
 Annual Christmas Fair and Tea
Saturday, December 2nd
1 - 4pm
32 Church Street, Bethel.

Trinitarian Congregational Parish of Castine
Holly Berry Fair
Saturday, December 2nd
10am - 2pm
Holiday gifts, Christmas Plants, Bakery, Breads, Cheese goods, crafts, wreaths, vendors and a luncheon. 68 Main Street, Castine.

Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church
Festival of the Trees Event
December 2nd - 9th
Various Hours over the sevens days it is open.
See poster for details View Poster

Poland Community Church
Annual Christmas Fair
Saturday December 2nd
9am - 2pm
Route 26 in Poland
View Poster 

 
First Congregational Church Scarborough
Yuletide Fair
Saturday, December 2nd
9am - 1pm
167 Black Point Road, Scarborough

2018 Boundary Awareness Training
Opportunities Sponsored by the
Maine Conference UCC
 
"Ready, Set, NO: Setting Limits and Doing Better at Self-Care" with Rev. Darren Morgan  
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 9, 2018 @ Congregational Church of Wells, 1695 Post Road, Wells. $25. includes a box lunch.
Tending the Fire 2017/2018
Second Christian Congregational UCC in Kittery, ME will be hosting a Tending the Fire retreat over three dates in 2017/2018. Retreat dates are:
Opening Intensive - October 17-17, 2017
Deepening Retreat - November 28-30, 2017
Sending Retreat - January 30 - February 1, 2018
Read more >>
 
Save the Date: April 20-22, 2018
 
Convocation 2018
"Part-time Pastors, Full-time Churches"
 
Co-sponsored by 
the Maine Conference, United Church of Christ
& The BTS Center
(Portland, Maine event location to be determined)
 
The future is arguably brightest for those that can re-imagine part-time pastorates 
as signs of emergent opportunities, not emblems of failure and imminent death.
-- G. Jeffery MacDonald
 
Convocation 2018  will provide an opportunity for you to name what's been lost - reflecting on the shrinking professional class of full-time, ordained clergy. You'll have more time to consider what's been found - learning about mainline congregations experiencing heightened vitality through part-time pastoral leadership. Regional denominational leaders will join us to reflect on what they are observing in their settings, and how they are seeing creative energies being unleashed. Workshops will offer spaces for deeper engagement with other participants. Registration will open later this Fall.
 
Help Wanted/Classifieds
Williston-Immanuel United Church, Portland
is seeking an individual to serve as part-time Community Liaison. This position involves outreach to the community and oversight of the church's Community Outreach Program.
Learn More>>
 
Open Positions at the National Offices
 
 
In This Issue
Quick Links
Beyond Our Borders
The Christmas Fund
Promotion begins November 28th
Offering generally collected the 4th Sunday in Advent. Which is December 24th this year. 
A new toolkit from Shoulder to Shoulder on Faith mobilization to support American Muslims in this era, complete with resources for both short-term and long-term work to address anti-Muslim bigotry in our nation and in our communities.
  View the toolkit here
Click to logo above for upcoming webinars.
Boston University School of Theology is pleased to announce that it has formed two new denominational learning communities. Click the logo to read more. 
Events
2018 MID Event
  View Poster 

Regional Theological Education Consortium Event April 30 - May 2, 2018
in Oberlin, Ohio. For more information contact Kathy Clark clark@ucc.org

Please hold the dates of December 12-15th, 2018 for the national Authorizing Ministry in the 21st Century (AM21) Event.
We will meet in San Diego, California.

IRCA Quadrennial Conference 2018
The International Rural Churches Association will gather April 15-21, 2018 in Lincoln, New Zealand.
Learn More
S ave the date!
The New England Association of United Church Educators have announced the dates for NEAUCE 2018. The event will be held May 1-3 at Pilgrim Pines in Swanzey, NH 
Maine Conference UCC | 207-622-3100 | conference@maineucc.org | http://www.maineucc.org
Maine Conference United Church of Christ
One Weston Court, STE 104
Augusta, ME 04330