Welcome to our weekly eblast, the
Missouri Mid-South Conference eCourier. We are a collection of 140+ local congregations in the United Church of Christ denomination covering the geographic region of Missouri, Arkansas, and Memphis, TN.
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
We believe in extravagant welcome. This is why we insist that God's communion table is open, not closed, and God's gift and cla
 im in baptism are irrevocable. We advocate justice for all. Our congregations extend hospitality as a sign of God's inclusive love. We teach that evangelism - offering bread to those in search of it - is God's mission. Our perspective is global, not provincial. We work with - not against - people of other faiths. Why? Because God is still speaking,
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Ginny's Gems - will return on 4/7/17
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Ginny's Schedule
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Location
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Date
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Description
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Orlando FL
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3/24-3/25/17
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Cornerstone Fund Board of Directors Meeting
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Kansas City, MO
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3/27-3/29/17
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West Central Region Meeting
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3/31/17
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Sabbath Day
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Columbia, MO
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4/1/17
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Conference Council Meeting
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Memphis, TN
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4/2/17
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Worship and Installation Service of Rev. Robert Van Ess at Holy Trinity UCC
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St. Louis, MO
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4/7-4/8/17
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LIFE at Eden
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St. Louis, MO
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4/9/17
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Preaching at Calvary UCC
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Houston, TX
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4/12-4/17/17
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Work from Houston
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St. Louis, MO
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4/18-4/19/17
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Eden Seminary Convocation
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4/21/17
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Sabbath Day
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Higginsville, MO
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4/22/17
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Western Assn. Spring Meeting
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Manchester, MO
St. Charles, MO
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4/23/17
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Worship at St. John UCC
Installation Service for Rev. Joshua Pittman at Friedens UCC
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Kansas City, MO
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4/24-4/26/17
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Meetings
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4/27/17
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Sabbath Day
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Dale's Schedule
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Location
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Date
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Description
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Foristell, MO
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3/26/17
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Pastoral Emeritus at St. Johns UCC with Devin Jones
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Kansas City, MO
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3/27-3/29/17
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West Central Region Meeting
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Columbia, MO
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4/1/17
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Conference Council Meeting
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Higginsville, MO
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4/22/17
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Western Assn. Spring Meeting
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| Follow Up - Rev. Dale Parson to Rise With Standing Rock in Washington, DC |
Thousands of marchers joined together March 10th to stand in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipe Line (DAPL) which violates the sovereign rights of the Dakota nation. The Dakota Access Pipe Line crosses sacred lands of indigenous tribes and is another violation in a long history of broken promises and treaties with Native Americans. (Currently, the struggle is being waged in the U.S. court system.)
My wife, Debra, and I were deeply moved by the determination of those to rise up and resist this violation of tribal sovereignty. The solidarity of Native American tribes and many other groups was truly inspiring. The cold rain and wintry weather could not dampen the enthusiasm and commitment of the marchers.
More than 200 persons who are part of the United Church of Christ gathered at a Lutheran church early in the morning on the day of the action to pray, organize and strategize. The march s
tretched from the Army Corp of Engineers building to the White House.
A two-hour prayer service the night before the march was attended by several hundred people at the National Cathedral (Episcopal). The worship was led mostly by tribal leaders, weaving together traditional Native American practices, such as "smudging." Smudging is an ancient practice of purifying a room with smoke of sacred herbs which helps to clear negative energy from a space.
The Dakota Access Pipeline is completed. Oil (referred to as "the black snake") ready to flow through these sacred lands. The struggle is now being waged in U.S. courts to overturn this abuse of sacred lands and to honor treaties that were made to protect the air, land and water.
Rev. Dale Parson
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Prospects Needed for MMSUCC Conference
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Dear Friends in Christ,
The Leadership Development Committee of the MMSUCC wants you to know we have several leadership opportunities. We ask you, as Conference and Association leaders, to help us identify prospects for the following:
1)
Conference Council seats
(three year terms) for first term election at June 2017 CAG:
(a)
Eastern Association
: One nominee - currently held by 1
male Lay member
(b)
St. Louis Association
: One nominee - currently held by
1 male Lay member
(c)
Western Association
: One nominee - currently held by
1 female Lay member
2)
Vacant Conference Council seat
(Vacancy - term ends June 2018) to be appointed by Conference Council immediately:
(a)
Eastern Association
: One nominee - currently held by
1 male Lay member
The Conference is seeking a highly qualified, diverse pool of potential  candidates for the limited number of Conference Council positions. We are gathering names Conference-wide and through the Associations. Prospects are vetted by the Conference Leadership Development Committee as to the best fit for the needs of the Conference. Those ultimately nominated by the committee are carefully chosen so the Council represents diverse population groups and can bring to its deliberations a variety of points of view and life experiences, as well as access to cultural, religious, educational, civic, business and economic resources. We are in particular need of finance and budgeting experience, like a CPA.
Click here for the nomination form
for prospective candidates for the Conference Council that should be completed by you (or others) or the candidate, and returned to the committee no later than Friday, March 31, 2017 (via Renee@mmsucc.org / include on the SUBJECT LINE: Prospect [candidates name]).
3)
Synod Delegates/Alternates for 2017 (Baltimore) and 2019
Various seats INCLUDING YOUTH / YOUNG ADULT delegates
(youth between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and young adults between the ages of 19 and 20)
Please prayerfully consider who might be prospects to serve in these very important roles in the life of our church.
Thank you,
Laura Dierberg Ayers
Leadership Development Committee, Chair
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St. Johns UCC in Chesterfield and LOGOS Building Relationships
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March 13, 2017
Written by
Anthony Moujaes
 Each week during the school year, about 80 people from St. Johns United Church of Christ gather for LOGOS, where all ages learn about, experience, and practice the art of Christian relationships, putting their faith into action and strengthening their discipleship.
St. Johns UCC, in Chesterfield, Mo., has always been willing to share its success of its LOGOS program. Now it will share its success with faith pastors, parents, and formation team members who seek to create a more active intergenerational faith community in their own churches.
"We've always been open and willing to share it with other people. We are in the middle of our 12th year, and we've seen the impact it can have on the congregation," said the Rev. Cathy Pettibone, pastor of St. Johns UCC. "It's a lot of what you hear now in churches - about being intergenerational and not just being on Sundays. We've been doing that for years."
The Rev. Ivy Beckwith, team leader of the UCC Faith Formation Ministry, is highlighting LOGOS "for the worship skills portion - every week the kids practice a way to lead worship in their church and learn something about what it means to worship God - and for the intergenerational piece."
Continue article
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Application for Mission Funds from St. Louis Assn.
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It is that time of year for applications for funds!
Here you will find the application and the criteria that we use to determine how to distribute the funds. The application is due postmarked by Friday, April 21, 2017 at 10pm. Send applications into the Missouri Mid-South Conference Office, 483 E. Lockwood Avenue, Suite 15, St. Louis, MO 63119. The application and criteria are also available on the Conference website.
Also, if you know of other organizations that might fit t
he criteria and have not been funded in the past but could be doing faithful work, don't hesita
te to send this application their way. If you know of orga
nizations that don't fit the criteria, but you think worthy of funding, send the organization information my way as the committee is planning on doing some discussion and discernment regarding the possibility of expanding the criteria.
Thank you!
Rev. Josh Privitt,
SLA Outreach Committee Chair
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Is Your Church Accessible to All?
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Becoming Accessible to All (A2A) is a response to the growing need for churches to become accessible for all persons with disabilities.
Current research indicates that
one in five persons lives with a disability and one in four persons experiences a mental health concern over a lifetime. Accessibility is more than having parking places marked "Handicapped" and having a ramp installed for entry into the building. Access includes the welcome of all individuals into full participation in the life of the church, including worship and leadership.
UCC congregations who have received the A2A designation to date are:
- First Congregational Church of Boulder, UCC, Boulder, Colorado
- First Congregational, UCC, Port Washington, Wisconsin
- Congregational Church of North Barnstead, UCC, Center Barnstead, New Hampshire
- UCC Parker Hilltop, Parker, Colorado
- Washington Park UCC Denver Colorado
- MCC/UCC in the alley, North Hollywood California
- First Congregational, UCC, Grand Junction, Colorado
Information about how congregations can become Accessible to All (A2A) can be found on the website of the Unite Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries at
uccdm.org and questions can be sent to:
chair@uccdm.orgor
secretary@uccdm.org
or to any of the board members listed on the website.
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Become a Global Advocate
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Advocacy is to support and act on behalf of another person or a cause. In our Global Ministries strategic direction. Working for Peace with Justice
we say "we affirm God's just and peaceable realm, by living as God's global mission church, facilitating the mobilization of God's people as advocates for curr
 ent issues."
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8
What Can I Do?
See further ideas here
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Nominations Needed for 31st General Synod
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The Thirty-first General Synod Nominating Committee is well into its work and the process of soliciting candidates for nomination and election as Moderator and Assistant Moderator of the General Synod. The nominations of these two individuals will come at the Nominating Committee's April 20
th meeting.
The deadline for submission of nominees for Moderator and Assistant Moderator is
April 6th.
The Nominating Committee will be nominating for election by the General Synod a Moderator and Assistant during the Thirty-first General Synod in Baltimore, Maryland in a little more than three months. The Bylaws call for the election of a Moderator an
 d one Assistant Moderator who may be considered for elevation to the position of Moderator at the end of his or her two-year term as Assistant Moderator.
In addition to serving as either Moderator or Assistant Moderator, these individuals will serve as Ex-officio members of the United Church of Christ Board of Directors for a two-year term with voice and with vote and will then preside at all sessions of the Thirty-second General Synod in 2019.
On behalf of Nominating Committee Chair, Rev. Dan DeLeon and Vice-chair, Ms. Megan Hoxhalli, you are invited to submit names for consideration as General Synod Moderator or Assistant Moderator. If you have members you would like to be considered, please provide these individuals with the direct link to the on-line nomination form and ask them to complete the form prior to April 6.
<http://www.ucc.org/nominations/>
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Grief Study Invitation for Clergy
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The following is an invitation from Marie B. Tracy,
a third-year MDiv student at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is also a member of Broadway United Church of Christ and a Member In Discernment of the Metro Association of the NY Conference.
Marie is interested in looking at the ability for pastors to grieve following the death of a loved one. There is a lot written about pastors supporting individuals in their congregations who are grieving...but actually not that much about the ability for pastors to grieve themselves (whether they are given the space/time by congregants and/or give themselves the space/time).
Her project addresses the opportunities for religious leaders to grieve within a congregational setting. She is seeking to interview United Church of Christ clergy persons who lost a loved one while working in a church, to hear their story, and to discuss their experience as a pastor facing grief. Potential participants do not need to be serving at present within a congregational setting.
Please contact Marie at (908) 358-5436 or by email at
marie.b.tracy@vanderbilt.edu before April 15th with any questions or if you are interested in participating. All identifying information will remain strictly confidential.
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LIFE at Eden with Ginny Brown Daniel
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LIFE at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis is a program that invites women and men to embrace lifelong learning and faith exploration. It challenges participants to become disciples, faithful witnesses to the gospel, and faithful member and leaders of the church. Each program consists of two courses, and participants may register for either course. There are no prerequisites. Other highlights include:
- Five regular session offerings each academic year
- Course topics range from Old Testament, New Testament, Evangelism, Ethics, and more
- Courses are taught by world-renowned Eden faculty instructors
- Six hours of theological engagement per session
- Worship, meals, and instruction included in registration ($130 per person, $140 with lodging)
April 7-8, 2017
Certificate: The Church is a Learning Community: Christian Education, Dr. Mai-Ahn Tran. Elective: The Sacrament of Baptism in our Spiritual lives Today,
Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Daniel, Conference Minister Missouri Mid-South Conference
Registration and further information here.
LIFE flyer
Or contact Jill Schantz at
jschantz@eden.edu or by calling 314.918.2554.
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Older Adult Ministries Survey
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The e-mail version of the survey from the Older Adult Ministry was sent to churches this week. Share copies of the questionnaire with others in the  congregation who have an interest in this ministry and have them complete and return the questionnaire. The team greatly appreciates your completing and returning the questionnaire. Let us know what you are doing, what you would like to do and how the Older Adult Ministry can help.
Please contact Jan Aerie with any questions:
216.870.1557
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Changes to eCourier Schedule
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As you have been made aware, the Conference staff position of Administrative Assistant has been eliminated due to the
budget. Therefore, to try and balance the workload, the eCourier will now be shared twice a month instead of weekly. Please see the below schedule for the remainder of March and all of April:
- Friday, March 24 - eCourier
- Friday, April 7 - eCourier
- Friday, April 21 - eCourier
The eHappenings, which highlights church and organization events, will be
 shared on March 31 and then on April 14 and April 28.
Please send future articles and events for the March and April eCourier/eHappenings to mms@mmsucc.org.
Beginning in April, the eCourier/eHappenings will be created and published by members from our Communications Covenanted Ministry. We are grateful for their willingness to step up and handle this important responsibility. Communicating with our Conference and keeping you informed on a regular basis remains a high priority.
As we continue to learn our "new normal" with shifts in workloads and duties, we are striving to maintain the same level of timeliness, hospitality and respect to everyone within our Conference. We ask for your prayers and patience more than ever during this latest transition.
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MMS Association Spring Meetings
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Mark your calendar for the Association spring meetings:
- Saturday, April 22, Western @ Salem UCC in Higginsville
- Thursday, May 4, St. Louis @ Hope UCC in St. Louis
- Sunday, May 7, Eastern @ Camp MoVal
More details to follow, but save your association's date now!
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Be Prepared - It's Tornado Season
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The following information is from our Conference Disaster Relief Coordinator, Rev. Stephen Redman, who shares timely tips on how to be prepared in the event of a tornado.
The tornadoes that ripped through western Missouri are a good reminder that preparation for the tornado season is of utmost importance at this time.
First: I have heard many statements recently that let me know there are many who do not understand tornadoes and what is necessary to survive such events.
- "We won't have a tornado here because - we live in a city, we live near a body of water, we've already had a tornado and it won't hit here again, tornadoes only hit where there is a trailer court...." Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong... Tornadoes are an act of nature and don't have a book of rules. While many hit and move on, one tornado was on the ground from Missouri through Illinois and Indiana!
- "I haven't heard a siren, there can't be a tornado!" Wrong on two counts. First, many communities do not sound sirens unless there has been a verified sighting. Second, sirens are for those OUTSIDE. It warns people to take cover. If you are inside, you may not hear the siren! This is why a NOAA alert radio is important!
- "I don't have a basement." The bathroom or a closet is still better than nothing. Think small space with no windows.
Continue article.
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An Introduction to ZOOM
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Nia Chandler, MMSC Communications Consultant, Introducing Zoom with Tips for Zoom Meeting Invitees.
Zoom Tip Sheet
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Contact Us
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 Missouri Mid-South Conference United Church of Christ
483 E. Lockwood Avenue, Suite 15, St. Louis, MO 63119-3168
877-877-5884 / 314-962-8740 / 314-918-2160 fax
www.missourimidsouth.org
Email mms@mmsucc.org for future submissions. Not all submissions may be shared in future eCouriers, eConnections or eHappenings.
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| In This Issue - 3/24/2017 |
WISE Mental Health Conference
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Ordination and Installation of
Julie A. Hawker
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Installation of
Rev. Rob Van Ess
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Every Child's Hope
Dinner & Auction
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Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference
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Women's Retreat
Faith FUNdamentals
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CHHSM Leadership Formation
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Weekly Podcast by the Rev. John Dorhauer
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Conference Staff Birthdays
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