COMMAntary
Equipping a courageous Church alive with Christ’s transforming love
|
|
Annual Meeting Begins Next Monday, June 7! |
|
Conference Minister Rev. Shari Prestemon offers invitation to Annual Meeting |
|
June 7–13, 2021 (virtual)
From worship with Rev. Dr. Karen George Thompson, Associate General Minister of the UCC and Co-Executive of Global Ministries, Wider Church Ministries and Operations, to ten workshops, the Annual Meeting offers myriad opportunities to learn and grow.
Workshops will focus on helping your church be generous, sustainability, justice work, immigration, spiritual practice, and more. The presenters are all talented and engaging presenters in their areas of expertise.
By signing up as either a delegate or guest of the Annual Meeting, you will receive the Zoom code to attend any or all of the workshops that you want to attend June 7–10.
-
View the list of workshops, presenters and the details HERE.
-
Register for the Annual Meeting HERE.
-
Read the reports of the Conference and voting items HERE (see right sidebar).
|
|
“Taking a Stand with Indigenous Water Protectors":
National UCC Offers Climate Justice Webinar on Line 3 in Minnesota
Buses and carpools are being organized from around the country to go to the headwaters of the Mississippi in Northern Minnesota so that people of conscience can join Indigenous-led nonviolent actions to stop the expansion of a massive oil pipeline.
While not all of us can go in person, all of us can act in other ways to support this vitally important cause. The Line 3 Expansion is a tar sands oil pipeline project under construction that, if completed, would cross a hundred waterways. It would also pass near the border of multiple Native nations and across hundreds of miles of treaty-protected land, which those communities depend on for drinking water and wild rice gathering.
The Minnesota Conference UCC has hosted two visits of Conference members and ecumenical friends to one of the Line 3 encampments in Palisade, and several local churches & pastors in our Conference have been engaged in this issue.
In the UCC’s next Creation Justice Webinar on Monday, June 14, at 12 noon (CDT), you’re invited to learn more about Line 3 and what faith communities can do to stop it. Featured speakers will include the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs from the Minnesota Council of Churches, Nina Berguland from the Youth Council and Indigenous Council for Earth Guardians, and Joe Meinholz from Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Even if you can't make the webinar’s scheduled time on Monday, June 14th, you can still sign-up, and a recording of it will be sent to you. SIGN UP NOW FOR THE WEBINAR!
|
|
The Ministry Lab Offers Summer Worship Series
is delighted to offer a 2021 Summer Worship Series - featuring three excellent preachers and a beautiful team of current United Theological Seminary students giving voice to the diversity of identities and contexts of our supporting congregations. In gratitude for our judicatory leaders, these three services are offered as a gift, in the hopes that they enable clergy, faith formation, and worship leaders to take a much needed break once, twice, or thrice over the course of this summer. LEARN MORE
|
|
Dwelling in the Word with the Damascus Project
We are living in an uncertain and transitional time. In some ways, life is returning to some version of normal, and in other ways we are very much impacted by the ongoing pandemic. Now is the perfect time to come together in community to listen for Jesus’ wisdom through the parables. In June and July, join with like-minded folks as together we dwell in the word.
Dwelling in the Word is a spiritual practice in which we open our hearts and minds to the Spirit’s call as it comes to us through the scriptures. It is also an opportunity to take a pause in your week and practice listening for and noticing God’s presence in our world and in our lives. Come once or come every time. No preparation needed. And when we say 30 minutes, we mean it!
Thursdays, 12–12:30 pm CT, June 10, 17, 24 and July 8, 15, 22 (no meeting July 1)
To receive a weekly email reminder and the meeting link, RSVP with one of these links:
-
Already a Damascus Project Network member? Click HERE.
-
Not yet a Damascus Project Network member? Click HERE.
|
|
The BIPOC Clergy Cluster meets quarterly on the second Thursday of the month June 10. To receive the Zoom link to the cluster meeting and/or get an invitation to the Facebook group, email Rev. Nikki Frontz.
|
|
-
The Conference website offers a wealth of resources related to Covid, racial justice, and more.
-
Send story ideas, insights and more to [email protected]. COMMAntary is published on Wednesdays; submissions are due the Monday prior to publication at noon.
-
The United Church of Christ National Setting is offering financial assistance to local churches whose ministries have been challenged by the pandemic. See the process.
|
|
Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on news, events, jobs and more. |
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
