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ConnTact: June, 2009

"God is Not Happy"

ZIMBABWE -- As we were pulling away, the Reverend says in English, "God is not happy. Much blood was shed here." 06/01/2009

"In Hope that Our Association is Blessed: Hartford's La Nueva Cosecha Joins the UCC

HARTFORD -- On March 29th, 2009, the Hartford Association welcomed its newest member to the Connecticut Conference: La Nueva Cosecha, 14 Oliver Street, Hartford, became the 245th church with full standing. La Nueva Cosecha's pastor, the Rev. Jose Felipe Santiago, shares the story. 06/01/2009

Among the Poorest of the Poor, Signs of Hope and Faith

OAXACA, MEXICO -- Hola Amigos! Come with me south of the border to Oaxaca, the poorest state in Mexico, with a population of 3.5 million people. We'll be traveling with 23 high school youth and 6 adults on the 2009 Silver Lake International Mission Trip. 06/01/2009

Connecticut's Jim Robertson Nominated as General Synod Moderator

CLEVELAND -- James K. Robertson, a member of the First Congregational Church of Watertown UCC for over thirty years and the newly elected Moderator of the Connecticut Conference, has been nominated as Moderator of General Synod XXVII, to be held June 26-30 in Grand Rapids, MI. 06/01/2009

Craigville Colloquy Turns Spotlight on Revival of Spirituality

CRAIGVILLE, MA -- The "Spirituality and the Holy Spirit" conference will be held at the Craigville Conference Center on Cape Cod, Mass., July 13-17. The five day event will focus on the restoration of ancient spiritual practices in Protestant and evangelical churches. 06/01/2009

Fresh Edition: Conversation

HARTFORD -- In a recent meeting, I heard something exciting (not something that always happens in meetings). Part of me wanted to hit my head and cry "Doh!" at my abject failure to have considered it before, and another part of me simply marveled at its simultaneous simplicity and profound depth: "Communication does not take place until it has gone both ways." 06/01/2009

From the Spirit Calendar

COLCHESTER -- We all need to be loved. Children, adults, spouses, friends, partners, caregivers, co-workers, all of creation, need to know love and to experience love. 06/01/2009

Green the Church

HARTFORD -- At a "Greening Our Church" workshop held at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford on March 14th, Baptist minister the Rev. Tom Carr told the gathering of North Central Region UCC churches that today's prophetic voice is coming from the world of science, warning us of the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming due to greenhouse gases produced by human activity. 06/01/2009

In Anxious Times: Live Out of Faith

HARTFORD -- These are times of great challenge. Within the United Church of Christ, our members face uncertainty and anxiety in differing ways. 06/01/2009

In These Times

HARTFORD -- These Times is a special series of reports on these efforts to minister to and with those affected by the economic crisis. In the first stories, a support group provides unemployed persons in Branford with a place of understanding and caring, and jobseekers in Windsor receive free employment coaching from seasoned professionals. 06/01/2009

Mission to Zimbabwe

MADISON -- My son Jamie and I just returned from a visit to southern Africa, including a week in Zimbabwe. We were hosted by the Rev. Edward Matuvhunye, President of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, In a rural area on the southeastern border near Mozambique, we visited Mt. Selinda, a United Church of Christ facility consisting of a hospital, orphanage, high school, primary school, nursing school, and church. 06/01/2009

Photos from Silver Lake's Spring

SHARON -- Maple Sugar weekend, the Women's Yoga retreat, Action, and some busy volunteers have made Silver Lake's spring an active and fulfilling one! Enjoy some photos from the Conference's summer camp and year-round retreat center. 06/01/2009

Recent and Upcoming Pastoral Transitions

HARTFORD -- Pastoral transitions which have been reported to the Connecticut Conference. 06/01/2009

Recovery not for Everyone

MANSFIELD -- The devil is always in the details. The recent American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) confirms that old saw again. Signed into law on February 17th by President Obama, the Act was intended to benefit those especially affected by our economic downturn. As is often the case, the least and the last continue to be the least and the last, for a key provision to mandate inclusion was omitted from the legislation. 06/01/2009

Spring Annual Meeting: A Day of Health and Healing

HARTFORD -- Saturday, May 9th, 2009 can be described as nothing short of powerful, from the poignant early morning Procession of Prayer Shawls to the plain, honest words of one attendee at the day's end: "These spring meetings are starting to be goose bump times." 06/01/2009

Taping, Mudding and Drywall: UCC UConn Students Give Spring Break to the Gulf Coast

STORRS -- Over Spring Break 2009, 16 University of Connecticut students and 2 adults from UCC UConn, a group associated with the Storrs Congregational Church UCC, traveled to Slidell, Louisiana to do hurricane relief work. The trip included a lot of manual labor, a tour of the devastated areas of New Orleans, the consumption of alligator and fried catfish, a side trip to Gulfport, Mississippi for a quick swim, a surprise concert by the African Children’s Choir, and, of course, fantastic fellowship. 06/01/2009

UCC General Minister and President Nominee to Keynote Fall Conference Meeting

HARTFORD -- The Rev. Geoffrey Black, the nominee for the next General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, will be the featured keynote speaker at the Fall Session of the Connecticut Conference Annual Meeting, to be held at the Middletown High School on Friday and Saturday, October 23rd and 24th. This will be Rev. Black's first appearance to a UCC Conference following his election by General Synod in June. 06/01/2009

ConnTact Archive

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