Weekly E-News Spring Edition | |  | | |
1) Message from the Conference
2) Latest News
3) Around the Conference
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4) Prayer Concerns
5) Save the Date & Cont. Ed Resources
6) VTCUCC Classifieds
| | DEADLINE for E-Kit News must be received by Tuesday of each week. Please send any and all information please email: admin@vermontucc.org | | Message from the Conference | | |
Dear Friends,
Didn’t we have a great Annual Meeting a couple of weeks ago? I really enjoyed the chance to see so many of you, and found the various presentations inspiring. And wasn’t our keynote speaker, Marvin Ellison awesome? He and Carter Heyward on Thursday night gave us all lots of think about during these challenging times.
I wanted to explain a bit more about a comment I made during the State of the Conference conversation that Lynn and I shared on Friday night. I said then that I believe that the Vermont Conference should be dedicated to developing Called, Equipped and Joyful Ministers for all of our churches. This is something that I have shared with our Board of Directors as well. As I think most of us are aware, we have a clergy shortage in Vermont. Seminary graduates are not generally looking to come serve part time churches in Vermont, so we have to find ways to develop and grow our own ministers, both lay and clergy, as we move into the future.
First of all, we want to develop ministers who are called. The Bible makes it clear that ministers are called by God to serve the people of God, and that is also reflected in the theology of the United Church of Christ. Twenty years ago, we relied on our seminaries to help people discern a sense of calling-Andover Newton used to have an event called “Is God keeping you up at night?” But the reality now is that not too many people in Vermont who might consider serving a part time church are likely to travel down to New Haven, CT where Andover Newton and Yale are to go to a weekend event. We need to think about offering opportunities for people in our own Conference to help them to discern whether God is calling them.
Secondly, we want to equip those leaders for ministry. We all know that there are skills that we can grow in that can help us minister more effectively, and that is the reason we set up our Ministry21 program. We give thanks for the courses we have already been able to offer in Ministry21 and the impact they have had on our students, and look forward to the further development of the program.
Finally, we want our ministers to be joyful! That may sound like a strange thing to say in the midst of our current climate, and there are certainly all kinds of reasons for people in ministry, and everyone else in our society, to be concerned about both our own lives and where we are going as a nation and world. But here is what I am getting at: Last December, I went to the final Ministry21 class of the fall, which was taught by our own Andy Nagy-Benson in Norwich. The class was on preaching and worship leadership, and there was both a time for discussion and for people to preach sample sermons. Throughout the day, there was such a spirit of joy and hope In the room, as the students encouraged each other and talked excitedly either about their current ministries or ministries they envisaged for the future. It truly felt like a holy place. May there be joy and hope like that in all of our ministries!
So, Called, Equipped, Joyful-may we seek to develop ministers, both lay and clergy, like this throughout our churches, to the glory of God,
Faithfully yours,
Paul
| | A Heartfelt Thank You for the 230th Annual Meeting! | | |
The Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ extends its deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the resounding success of our 230th Annual Meeting! It was a truly enriching and inspiring gathering, and we are so thankful for the dedication and hard work of so many individuals.
A special thank you to Leigh McCaffrey, our Annual Meeting Administrator, for her exceptional organizational skills and tireless efforts in ensuring everything ran smoothly. We also want to express our sincere appreciation to Jackie Lingelbach, the creator of our engaging slide shows and our support staff extraordinaire – your contributions were invaluable!
Our heartfelt thanks go to the dedicated Planning Committee: Peter Plagge, Carrie Youngblood, Terry Hanley, Jane LoBrutto, and Karen Braeutigam. Your vision and meticulous planning shaped a truly meaningful event.
We are so grateful to our wonderful leaders during the meeting: Carrie Youngblood, our thoughtful and engaging moderator, and John Hill, our insightful vice moderator.
A huge thank you to Rev. Terry Hanley and the amazing volunteers of Grace Church for their warm hospitality and for hosting us so graciously. We also appreciate the support of Krista Johnson, Heather Masterton Church Administrators and Alastair Stout and the talented musicians who enhanced our worship and fellowship.
The joyful energy of the square dance led by John Kirk and Trish Miller was a delightful addition to our time together.
We were deeply moved and challenged by the powerful address and discussion on the Seven Deadly Sins of White Racism led by Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance.
Our sincere appreciation to Rev. Dr. Marvin Ellison for his insightful keynote, engaging workshop, and thought-provoking closing sermon. Your presence and wisdom enriched us all.
Thank you to Jane LoBrutto and Cathy Johnson for providing such fabulous and nourishing meals throughout the meeting.
We are also incredibly grateful to Jonathan Hauze and Tobey Brown for their expertise in managing the Zoom platform, ensuring accessibility for all.
A special thank you to the fantastic team who kept our visuals running seamlessly: Krista Johnson, Heather Masterton, and Carmyn Stanko. Your work behind the scenes was essential.
We extend our sincere thanks to our knowledgeable and engaging Workshop Leaders: Lou Rochford, Rev. Cass Poulos, Rev. Lynn Bujnak, Dr. Marvin Ellison, Pastor Karen Braeutigam, Rev. Dr. Arnold Thomas, and Mr. Derek Duncan.
Thank you to Derek Duncan, our guest from Wider Church and Common Global Ministries, for sharing your insights and perspectives.
We appreciate the steady guidance of our parliamentarians, John Hill and Rev. Debbie Ingram, in ensuring our proceedings were conducted smoothly and fairly.
Our gratitude to Rev. Thew Dean and Rev. Gayle McFarland for their diligent work as our scribes, capturing the important moments and decisions of our meeting.
A special thank you to Rev. Gordon Rankin, New Hampshire Conference Minister, for his willingness to provide volunteer tech support – your assistance was invaluable!
Finally, we thank Rev. Mark Koyama from the Sacred Ally Quilt project for sharing this powerful and meaningful expression of connection and solidarity.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in and contributed to the 230th Annual Meeting. Your presence, engagement, and dedication to the Vermont Conference make our community strong and vibrant. We look forward to continuing our shared journey together!
| | Video highlights from the 230th Annual meeting | | |
Summer Lunch Grants Available!
Why is there hunger in Vermont? This simple answer according to Free Vermont to Hunger Free Vermont is “that people don’t have enough money to cover their most basic needs. Underlying causes of hunger remain unresolved and unaddressed, and many are only worsening, including: white supremacy and race-based inequities, lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable childcare, shortage of jobs that pay a livable wage, increases in the cost of food, heat, and other basic needs, rising healthcare costs, decrease in the number of local affordable grocery stores, lack of public transportation, and the stigma associated with using safety net programs.” We can add to that list a migrant population that is fearful of appearing in public even to buy food. The Hunger Free Vermont web page provides information on how to end hunger but meanwhile we must do our best to feed people. Thanks to the kind hearts and hard work of many in our congregations and communities we do that in the summer months when kids no longer have access to school meals.
Our featured congregation is First Congregational Church, UCC of West Brattleboro. They provide all types of packaged food, snacks and breakfasts to over 100 people regularly through their little food pantry, monthly community breakfasts, Little Free Coffee Shop which also provides fresh vegetables, and Edible Church Yard maintained by the community and interfaith youth. These enterprises are financed through donations of food and money, church budgeted funds, and a grant from The Vermont Conference.
Your congregation can receive a grant to help with your summer food offerings. Return the completed application by May 31.our congregation can help. Click on the link here to view the application. Complete the application by May 31st.
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RESOLUTION PASSED AT 230TH ANNUAL MEETING
Resolution on Acknowledging and Compensating the Black Musical Community for the Under- and Unacknowledged Musical Works of Black People, Especially "Negro Spirituals" was passed find the resolution here:
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Talk Is not Cheap, but Healing
UCC congregations stepping up their mental health initiatives, turning unused spaces into places of connection.
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Advocacy Beyond the First 100 Days
UCC Office of Public Policy and Advocacy continues its commitment to building a just world for all with a refreshed advocacy resource page.
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Our Faith and Sensitive Locations – What Faith Communities Are Doing
Several organizations have organized a lawsuit against the federal government in response to the current administration’s policies on immigration agents more leeway to arrest at sensitive locations. Learn more about what the lawsuit is and how you can support the resistance.
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Anything Goes
Nearing the 5th anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, UCC GMP reflects on the sacred act of remembering those lives lost at the hands of racism and inequality.
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AROUND THE CONFERENCE
(Please let us know what your Congregation is up to by sending an email to VermontConference@gmail.com .
You may just see yourself or someone you love in the eKit or our Facebook page!)
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In Search of
Are there other UCC churches in Vermont currently using the UCC Everywhere website development program? If so, please reach out to Liz Sykas at Bethany.Rental.Coord@gmail.com.
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From Pastor Chris Heintz: Hello My Friend,
If you’ve been waiting for a good day to donate to my Empire State Ride to End Cancer, Today is THE Day. Our sponsors Timberbuilt and Port X Logistics are sponsoring a $50,000 fundraising match.
Gifts up to $150 will be matched dollar for dollar.
Gifts over $150 will still receive a $150 match.
I’m already 2/3 on the way to reach my goal of $20,000 for the cutting edge research at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and a contribution TODAY would go DOUBLE toward that goal. Make a secure online donation using the QR code or Donate link below!
We all know someone who has had cancer. This is your opportunity to help find cures and breakthrough treatments for something that affects us all.
Please give today! And spread the word.
I ride so that others might live!
Chris Heintz
This Summer I'm riding 550 miles to End Cancer!
| | Taizé Service at First Congregational Church of Berlin, May 22 at 7 pm | | | | |
On Thursday evening May 22, Mary Bonhag will be leading a Taizé service at First Congregational Church of Berlin, 1808 Scott Hill Road, Berlin VT 05602. The service features simple harmonious chants, short readings, scriptures, poems and prayers, periods of silence, and the lighting of candles. Mary will also sing chants by the Brookfield composer and retired clergy Kathy Wonson Eddy. Please join us to sing, or just to be bathed in the music of this special service, either in person or via Zoom. Contact Rob Griffin at griffinsuter@hotmail.com or 802-272-2376 for more information.
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Come to a Spring Quiche Luncheon on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at the Shoreham
Congregational Church. For only $10 you can enjoy a slice of our famous meat, vegetable, or
cheese quiche along with salad, beverage, and dessert! It is a great opportunity to relax with
friends and welcome the warm spring weather. Please bring a non-perishable item for the Food
Shelf to help those in need.
This year we will be raffling off a beautiful hand-knitted blanket. Be the first to buy your tickets at the quiche luncheon. Tickets are only $5 each or 3 for $10. The drawing will be during AppleFest in September.
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Animating Anti-Racism in Faith Formation
Four 30-minute video modules
with online cohort sessions for local church staff, lay leaders, and clergy. The Animating Antiracism in Faith Formation program is open to all church leaders who wish to expand cultural competency and examine the ways that race and power are present in ministry. This webinar and cohort series was developed for the United Church of Christ Network of Wider Church Youth Ministries (NOWCYM) by Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training.
Registration is open for the Spring Cohorts!
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Camp Highlight: New Things (July 13-19, grades 3-5, Tiered Prices: $710, $600, $530)
Have you ever crawled through a mountain cave or hiked in a mountain stream?
Have you ever slept on a mountain ledge or climbed with a rock-wall team?
Have you ever listened to a sunrise or written a mountain haiku?
Have you ever painted the moon at night or floated in a canoe?
Are you looking to find an adventure or a campfire to hang out with friends?
Come find your place on the mountain where the welcome never ends.
Have you ever needed a really safe place with a chance just for you to be you?
Join us at Horton Center where all THINGS are always made NEW!!!
Camp NEEDS Counselors!
The magic of camp is not possible without volunteer counselors. Are you looking for a way to make a difference? Come to camp and make the transformative wonder of Outdoor Ministries possible for today's youth this summer at Horton Center! Caution: the lives changed after a week of camp may include your own!
Retreat Highlight: Men's Fellowship Retreat (August 11-14, adult men, Tiered Prices: $285, $255, $225)
Join us for a time of fellowship, relaxation, spiritual reflection, creativity, and adventure at Horton Center. Whether you can join us for one day, or the whole retreat, you are welcome to come up to the mountain and enjoy the beauty of the space and the opportunities the surrounding area offers (canoeing, hiking, etc.) as well as cool opportunities on site (perhaps fly tying, making rustic furniture, painting, and more!).
Men's Retreat Info Page HERE
Contact: Tivvi Pare (she/her/hers) 603-545-9660 TPare@nhcucc.org
| | VERMONT PRIDE SCHEDULE 2025 | | |
Prayers for those who are being deported without due process.
Prayers for the family and friends of Ronald Van Mynen. Ronald who went missing April 1st and was found dead in NY yesterday.
Prayers for Ukraine, Gaza, Congo and other places in the world with ongoing wars.
Prayers for those caught in natural disasters.
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Save the Date & Cont. Ed Resources
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Craigville Theological Colloquy
July 7-11, 2025
Courage and Communion:
How Eucharistic Worship
Can Empower and Revive Churches
Registration is now open!
In the New Testament church, the sacrament of Holy Communion kept hope alive in times of anxiety and fear. The world was a dangerous place for Christians, but when the congregation gathered at the table on Sunday, they experienced their sacred meal as the foretaste of a future banquet where everyone was welcome, no one was abandoned or afraid.
In this century, can the sacrament have the same transformative power in our churches as it did for our ancestors? Can Eucharistic worship sustain community in a time when many of us are fearful for the future of our congregations, our country and our world? Can the Eucharist revive struggling churches and deepen our commitment to justice and care for creation?
Keynoter and worship leader will be the Rev. Dr. Mary Luti, retired professor of Christian worship and preaching at Andover Newton Theological School (now Andover Newton Seminary at Yale) and formerly senior minister at First Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the editor of Do This: Communion for Just and Courageous Living, published by Pilgrim Press.
Now in its 41st year, the Craigville Theological Colloquy brings together ordained and lay leaders in a unique experience of theological reflection and renewal in historic Craigville Village on Cape Cod. A hybrid of retreat, conference and summer vacation, afternoons are always free to enjoy Craigville's famous beach or to explore the Cape. Partial scholarships are available for seminarians and other students, and continuing education credit for ministers. Registration and more information at https://craigvillecolloquy.com
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Home About Us Programs For Authorizing Bodies Contact Us Donate
The 6-week course beginning May 7, Professional Boundaries and Ministerial Self-Care, is facilitated by Rev. Brittany Powell, an ACPE certified supervisor. If interested, please apply, there are still openings.
6-week courses beginning after June 1 include:
--- Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian --- Ethics and a Life of Meaning ---
Living the Heart of Progressive Christian Theology
Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian
Beginning June 4, 2025, this foundational, six-week course works to create a safe space for critical engagement and spiritual transformation. Methods offered in this course give the tools for bridging the gap between church Bible study and formal academic Biblical interpretation.
Objectives pursued include:
- the place of the Bible in the United Church of Christ
- the development of the Bible over time
- the methods of studying the Biblical texts to discern meaning and purpose for our own faith lives and for the exercise of our pastoral roles as preachers and teachers
Go to the PATHWAYS website (pathwaystheological.org) to learn more and to apply for this and other courses.
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Welcome, Farewell, and Blessings
Pastoral Transitions since the 2024 Vermont Conference Annual Meeting
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Mission and faith identity support:
Applicants should demonstrate full support of the mission, values, and faith orientation of the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, UCC and the United Church of Christ as a welcoming, historic, and progressive Christian faith community. The applicant will unreservedly support the church’s identity as an Open and Affirming (i.e. LGBTQ+ affirming) congregation. For more details regarding the position, please visit our website: https://www.fccej.org/v5/who-we-are/work-with-us/ FCCEJ is an open and affirming church, serving all in the spirit of Christ.
Please send resume and cover letter to: welcome@fccej.org
| | FOR MORE CONFERENCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | | | | |
Join the Movement toward Racial Justice
The United Church of Christ invites you to participate in the Join the Movement Campaign, a three-year initiative that recognizes local churches’ works towards racial justice. Together, we can advocate for all people to live without acts of violence or structures and systems that harm God’s human creation.
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Global Ministries is a joint witness in mission between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Join us in our mission to receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ by joining with global and local partners to work for justice, reconciliation and peace
Become a Global Mission Church!
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Thank You for Your Support!
Our Churches Wider Mission Basic Support, Association Dues, and
Friends of the Vermont Conference make this communication possible.
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