Be Well. Be Safe. Be Patient.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” — Romans 12:12

I greet you with gratitude in my heart! Over these last several weeks, I have given thanks again and again for your faithfulness, your perseverance, and your creativity in this unimaginable time. You have met this moment with wisdom and an inspiring can-do attitude.

Our community has been held together beautifully as the Spirit has woven our connections tighter and stronger, day by day. For many congregations, it has already been five weeks since we have last been together for in-person worship. We are grateful for new ways of worshipping virtually, for Zoom coffee hours, for chats on the phone, and times of connecting in prayer. But we miss each other, and long for the familiarity of our sanctuaries and family and friends.

This time is so hard for all of us. Lives have been lost. Jobs have been cut. Our businesses and communities are suffering. As the weeks lengthen, our impatience understandably grows and we’re tempted to ask if it isn’t yet time to gather again in person.

Today I urge patience and ask us to persist in our physical distancing and widespread precautions.

Each week, religious leaders in Minnesota convene with officials from the Minnesota Department of Health. In this week’s call, I listened yet again as the devastating statistics were shared: 2,567 positive cases in Minnesota. 160 deaths. 230 currently in the hospital. Over 130 in ICU. 78 of our 87 counties with infections. 

And then there was this stunning statement: health officials believe that the actual number of persons infected with COVID-19 in Minnesota may be as much as 100 times more than the 2,567 cases we know about. Why? There are so many across the state who have not been able to get tested and remain at home battling whatever symptoms they have. Our numbers in Minnesota are still climbing, the communal spread is growing. As sobering as it is, we must acknowledge: this crisis is far from over.

Last week, the Minnesota Conference Board of Directors approved a plan to make three grant opportunities available to clergy and congregations.

These grants are designed to provide some immediate relief to those struggling most during this difficult pandemic, and to strengthen our clergy and churches for the future beyond COVID-19.

“In our regular conversations with clergy and congregational leaders across the Conference, we are inspired by all the amazing ways our clergy are so beautifully serving during this crisis, and by the ways congregations are remaining faithful and connected,” says Conference Minister Shari Prestemon. “We are also aware of how draining this all is, and of real needs that are emerging. We want our clergy and congregations to know we see them clearly during this time, and that we’re here to help.”

The Board of Directors has allocated Conference funds for three different kinds of grants. An application process will be announced in the coming week.

Read full details about each grant opportunity

Clergy and faith formation leaders (staff and volunteers) of children and youth from the Minnesota Conference UCC are invited to join together on the fourth Thursday of the month to eat (when we can actually meet together again), share resources and learn fresh ways to engage our ministries.

NEXT UP: Online Youth Ministry - Opportunities and Challenges

THIS Thursday, April 23, 2020 | Noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom ( to join, click HERE; or by phone at 1-312-626-6799 and use the meeting code 841 878 084)

We will be joined by members of the leadership team from the Network of Wider Church Youth Ministries for a conversation about the opportunities and challenges of shifting youth ministry into online spaces. The conversation will focus on both the technical aspects of this shift (apps, platforms and other logistical questions) and issues related to maintaining healthy boundaries in online spaces. Please bring the stories of your online adventures, experiments, successes, and challenges, along with the questions you are holding about the shifting context of youth ministry.

Upcoming Bi-Weekly Gatherings

While FourTHursday gatherings typically go on hiatus from May through August, Conference staff will convene bi-weekly Zoom gatherings for faith formation leaders throughout the time congregations are required to meet online only. These Zoom gatherings will be a time for mutual support and a space to share questions and ideas. Join us every other Thursday, noon - 1pm, beginning Thursday, April 30. The Zoom link for these gatherings is  HERE (or by phone at 1-312-626-6799 and use meeting code 997 774 390). If you have questions or are unable to make Fourth Thursday, but would like resources shared at the event, please contact Sandy  via email .

Join an Online Church Conversation with The Damascus Project

  At the beginning of quarantine, local church pastors made a quick transition to doing much of their work online. It has been a time of rapid on-boarding of new skills and ways of being in community.

 

Now we invite you to take a step back and consider: What about your congregation’s online worship experiences and gatherings are going well? What isn’t going well? What are the challenges and what are the opportunities? Is your current way of doing online church sustainable? Is it meaningful? When you consider the possibility that we may need to do church this way, on and off, for the next 18 to 24 months, what do you feel and what do you need?

 

The Damascus Project invites 10 pastors from across the Minnesota and Wisconsin Conferences to join in four 60-minute Zoom sessions of reflection and learning around these questions. Together, we will explore how to create online worship and connection that is authentic to you and your community. Conference staff will provide facilitation, support, and resources. There is NO cost, and the schedule will be determined in coordination with participants. To facilitate engagement, we are maintaining a hard limit of 10 for this pilot conversation, on a first come, first served basis, but other groups will be gathered if there is sufficient interest.

Questions? Contact Abby at  [email protected] or Tisha at  [email protected]

 

REGISTER HERE

 Courage & Renewal Retreats for Clergy, Staff & Lay Leaders

The role of being a church leader has changed dramatically this spring. It has involved learning all kinds of new ways of gathering together. It has included some new discoveries, as well as grief over the loss of familiar patterns, structures, and expectations. While many of us have had too many online meetings, the Minnesota Conference UCC wants to offer clergy and lay leaders a virtual retreat space for  intentional reflection, celebration, and connecting. Winton Boyd , (UCC pastor,  Center for Courage & Renewal ) and  Sara Thomsen  (Duluth area singer/songwriter) will be offering these mini retreats as a time for us to pause from our routines to reflect on what we have learned and are learning about being a leader now.

Exploring Gratitude in These Days

May 5 from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. CDT or

May 21 from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. CDT (90 minutes)

Rooted in Sara Thomsen's song,  Rhapsody of Rest , based on Psalm 92 (A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day)

This 90-minute session will be offered twice; utilizing the  Circle of Trust process , the retreat will include individual and group reflection, silence and music. Advance registration required and is limited to the first 20 people for each retreat, but there is no cost to participate. Register for May 5

Returning to the Source of our Call in These Days

June 4 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CDT (3 hours)

Rooted in Sara Thomsen's song,  Root of the Root  and Romans 10:15 ("How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?")

This 3-hour session will utilize the  Circle of Trust process   and will be more spacious, providing more extended time (both online and offline) for individual reflection, as well as time in triads and as a large group. Advance registration required and is limited to the first 20 people for each retreat, but there is no cost to participate.  Register for June 4

Once you are registered, you will receive an email from the retreat facilitators a few days before the event that will provide you with the Zoom link and further details about the retreat you have signed up for. If you have questions please contact Sandy  via email.

Registration Open for Online Annual Meeting on June 13 – Delegates, Please Register Now!

Given the current state of uncertainty about when gathering in large groups may again be advisable, the Board of Directors has decided to cancel our in-person Annual Meeting at the College of St. Benedict June 12-13. A short, virtual meeting for voting delegates only will instead be held on June 13 from 10 am to noon via Zoom to attend to essential business of the Conference.

Registration for this meeting is now open at THIS LINK. There is no fee for the meeting. If you are a clergy delegate or a lay delegate appointed by your congregation, please register for this Zoom meeting at your earliest convenience, but before Memorial Day as registration for this meeting will close on Monday, May 25, 2020. Once you register, you will receive email information about attending the meeting online.

Conference Staff Available to Bring Greetings to Your Virtual Worship

During the first weeks of this pandemic, Conference staff have been blessed to drop into many of our congregations’ worship services on Facebook Live, You Tube, and other online platforms. In the coming weeks, the Conference Minister and Associate Conference Ministers would welcome specific invitations from pastors and congregations to bring brief greetings and messages of encouragement. Depending on your method of virtual worship, staff can provide a written message for the pastor to read, join you in your Zoom worship to bring greetings directly, or send a video greeting. To make an invitation for someone to attend your worship service in this way, reach out directly to  Shari Prestemon,  Anita Bradshaw,  Kevin Brown or  Sheresa Simpson-Rice. We look forward to worshipping with you!

“The Last Pastor: Faithfully Closing a Church”

Thursday, May 21, 2 pm CST, via Zoom; Register here

How does closing a church impact pastors? Learn leadership skills that lead to grace-filled transformations and church closure in a zoom webinar with Gail Cafferata, author of  The Last Pastor: Faithfully Steering a Closing Church .    Rev. Cafferata will speak from her interviews and research with pastors who served closing congregations, as well as her own congregation’s experience. Hosted by Rev. David Schoen and sponsored by the UCC Church Building & Loan Fund.

MaryBeth Harman was approved for an ecclesiastical council at an ordination panel interview held via remote conferencing on April 18.  Congratulations, MaryBeth! The Minnesota Conference celebrates your path toward new things as we all learn to move in new ways.

Tell us what you're doing during these challenging times. Please share how your church is coping and reinventing worship and ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Send story ideas, insights and more to [email protected] . COMMAntary is published on Wednesdays; submissions are due the Monday prior to publication at noon.

Check out the  employment opportunities  portion of our website for all open positions.

POSTPONED: Adult Meditation Retreat, Spring Conference Youth Event, Courage to Lead, Magnify! Annual Meeting

Updates about upcoming camps, retreats, and other faith formation opportunities for all ages will be available on the Conference's website.

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This newsletter is brought to you by generous contribution to Our Church's Wider Mission.

The Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ (UCC) equips a courageous Church alive with Christ’s transforming love. Through advice, support, and resources, we strengthen the 126 congregations throughout the state to do the redemptive work of God in the world.

www.uccmn.org