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Local Church Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Guidelines

The United Church of Christ local churches may use this plan as a guide when preparing their own disaster plans to guide emergency actions prior to, during and after any emergency. Preplanning is the key to being ready for any disaster. The steps taken before and immediately after an event will have a positive effect on how the members of your congregation respond in the event of a disaster. Many hazards do not lend themselves to prior notice. Therefore, this plan will address both prior notice events and no notice events. Realizing that each of our member churches is different, this document provides guidance to help you formalize your congregation's plan.

Click here to download or view "Local Church Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Guidelines"

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Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2012

This description of the Conference's activities in 2012 is intended for inclusion in local churches' annual reports to their members.

Click here to download or view "Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, UCC, in 2012"

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Care for Newtown Fund: Guidelines

The Connecticut Conference's Care for Newtown fund supports those affected by the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The fund provides assistance for counseling and therapy for those affected, pastoral care for clergy providing care, and recovery related events and programs.

Click here to download or view "Care for Newtown Fund: Guidelines"

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2013 Pastors' Salary Guidelines

This resource, approved in April 2013 by the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors, provides local church leaders with useful guidelines to determine a pastor's compensation. It recommends a minimum annual salary of $36,414 for full-time pastors, with formulae to increase the amount based on years of experience and the membership of the church. There are also guidelines for the compensation of associate pastors as well as consideration of housing, insurance, and professional expense issues.

Click here to download or view "2013 Pastors' Salary Guidelines"

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2013 Pastors' Salary Guidelines Resources

This page provides links to the two components of the 2013 Pastor's Compensation guidelines: the guidelines resource, which offers comprehensive information about clergy compensation issues and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (in .xlsx formats) allowing for easy calculations based on the recommendations. There are spreadsheets both for covenants providing a parsonage and for covenants providing a housing allowance.

Click here to download or view "2013 Pastors' Salary Guidelines Resources"

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Primer for Discernment Process

This primer provides the information needed to participate in the dialogues on moral imperatives, expressions of faith, and responses to contemporary circumstances, within and beyond the Connecticut Conference. Please review the guidelines carefully; for assistance in preparing resolutions, contact the Resolutions Committee through the conference office.

Click here to download or view "Primer for Discernment Process"

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Christian Educators Salary Guidelines (CAUCE)

The Connecticut chapter of the Association for United Church Educators (CAUCE) develops compensation recommendations for full and part time Christian Educators employed by local churches. Revised every 2 to 3 years, this edition was issued in 2009.

Click here to download or view "Christian Educators Salary Guidelines (CAUCE)"

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A New Story - Sermon from 2012 March in the Son

This sermon by the Rev. Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Minister for Christian Faith Formation Research of the United Church of Christ, was preached at opening worship of the 2012 March in the Son event at First Congregational Church UCC, Cheshire, on March 24, 2012.

Click here to download or view "A New Story - Sermon from 2012 March in the Son"

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Internet Safety Guidelines

Authored by a team of Connecticut Conference web and youth workers, this document offers guidelines and foundational questions for local churches developing policies for appropriate communication using digital means, including social networking and "traditional" church web sites. The document considers adult to adult as well as adult to youth relationships.

Click here to download or view "Internet Safety Guidelines"

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Safe Church Online Links

An ongoing collection of resources related to safety practices for churches in digital media, ranging from their own web sites through social networking to protecting their office computer information.

Click here to download or view "Safe Church Online Links"

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Green Action Steps for Churches

Action steps that can be taken by local churches to reduce their impact on the Earth's resources. Completing 80% of the steps in any of the three stages achieves recognition as a Green Church in the Connecticut Conference from the Environmental Ministry Team.

Click here to download or view "Green Action Steps for Churches"

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Changing Lives: That's Our Church's Wider Mission

These days, we are all especially careful about how we use our money, and that includes our giving. For many people in the United Church of Christ, giving to the church is a deeply held value. And even when circumstances change, giving remains faithful.

Click here to download or view "Changing Lives: That's Our Church's Wider Mission"

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Church World Service Kit Guide 2009

Church World Service's brochure on how to prepare, collect, and send their disaster response kits.

Click here to download or view "Church World Service Kit Guide 2009"

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MissionInsite: Community Information for CTUCC Churches

MissionInsite is a community information tool available to congregations of the Connecticut Conference UCC.

Click here to download or view "MissionInsite: Community Information for CTUCC Churches"

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Connecticut Conference Clergy and Lay Professional Enrichment Grants Program

The Clergy and Lay -- Professional Enrichment Grants Program is a grant program of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ. Under the conditions of the gift, the Connecticut Conference will award grants to clergy and lay professionals serving local churches, including interim pastors, for the purposes of continuing education, professional enrichment, spiritual refreshment, self-care, and related activities. The particular focus of the grant money will be individuals serving in situations where continuing education dollars may be limited or where other factors hinder the clergy or lay professional from being able to participate in professional enrichment activities.

Click here to download or view "Connecticut Conference Clergy and Lay Professional Enrichment Grants Program"

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Facebook for Churches: the Care and Feeding of a Page

A few years ago, a church needed a website to be "found" in the real world as well. With 51% of Americans using Facebook, a local church needs a presence there, too, to be discovered in the real world. This guide covers the creation and use Facebook's Page feature, which gives churches that place and presence.

Click here to download or view "Facebook for Churches: the Care and Feeding of a Page"

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In Our Shoes Program Startup Manual

A guidebook for creating a chapter of "In Our Shoes," the anti-bullying awareness program developed by King Street United Church of Christ in Danbury.

Click here to download or view "In Our Shoes Program Startup Manual"

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Congregational Care and Cancer

The purpose of this resource is to orient you to some of the central questions and considerations that may emerge as you journey with those in your faith community affected by cancer. The PowerPoint slides and Handbook will guide you in leading group discussions on this subject. The resource is geared to facilitators of faith community health ministries (both lay and nurse led, Deacons, Clergy/Pastors, Called to Care Ministries, grief ministries or any group within your congregation that practices spiritual and/or physical care and healing.

Click here to download or view "Congregational Care and Cancer"

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2012 Address of the Conference Minister

Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman's address to the Fall 2012 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "2012 Address of the Conference Minister"

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For Your Welfare, Not For Harm - Fall 2012 Keynote Address

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive for Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ, offered powerful and reassuring words to those gathered for the CTUCC Annual Meeting on October 20, 2012. "Christian communities," he said, "remind one another that both life's struggles and joys, our problems and their solutions, are riding together on the same bus, and they are always indistinguishable when Christ is invited into the midst of us."

Click here to download or view "For Your Welfare, Not For Harm - Fall 2012 Keynote Address"

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About Giv2: Tri-fold Brochure

Giv² is a CORPS of youth and adults GIVING back to our community in response to the GIFTS of God. Giv² is designed for middle and high school youth in grades 7-12 who want to explore our faith through SERVICE and FELLOWSHIP. This brochure, suitable for printing, is a great way to help church leaders understand the program and get started joining an existing chapter or starting their own.

Click here to download or view "About Giv2: Tri-fold Brochure"

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Silver Lake Scholarships

This brochure describes the summer conferences program of Silver Lake Conference Center, and the importance of financial support for the scholarship programs that allow young people whose families have limited means to participate in this life-enhancing experience. It describes some of the ways that local churches and individuals can help make make building the next generation of leaders for the Church and the world possible.

Click here to download or view "Silver Lake Scholarships"

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Handbook for a Conversation on Race

A resource developed by the Massachusetts Conference UCC in conjunction with the visit of the Freedom Schooner Amistad to Boston in 2003.

Click here to download or view "Handbook for a Conversation on Race"

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Recycling Resources

From the Environmental Task Force of the United Church on the Green: a list of donation sites and recycling centers. Though primarily oriented toward resources in the New Haven areas, this list is useful to people all over the state.

Click here to download or view "Recycling Resources"

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2011 Address of the Conference Minister

Interim Conference Minister the Rev. Charles L. Wildman's address to the Fall 2011 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.

Click here to download or view "2011 Address of the Conference Minister"

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Tools for Effective Church Management

A collection of documents developed by Ken Ulmer, former Connecticut Conference Associate Conference Minister for Administration, for use by local churches in supporting their programs and ministries. The collection includes sample forms, policy statements, financial tools, position descriptions, and more. this is a superb resource for any local church.

Click here to download or view "Tools for Effective Church Management"

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Is Your Church Ready?

If the fire alarm rings during a Sunday morning Worship Service (assuming, of course, that your church has a fire alarm system), is an evacuation plan in place? Do you know which exit to take from the Sanctuary? Is anyone prepared to direct visitors and to assist those with mobility problems to an exit? Has the Church School had a fire drill? Do the teachers know what to do when the alarm goes off?

Do you know who the Emergency Management Officer is in your community? Is your church prepared to respond to a community-wide disaster? Is there a plan in place with the rest of the faith community in your town so resources are shared and not duplicated?

These are just a few questions that every congregation needs to answer. The Local Church Check List will help you get started on an assessment of your church’s preparedness in case of an emergency or community disaster.

Click here to download or view "Is Your Church Ready?"

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Safe Church Resources

This page contains links to resources useful in developing, implementing, and maintaining abuse prevention policies in a local church.

Click here to download or view "Safe Church Resources"

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Partners in Education

Partner In Education are Christian educators, trained by the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries to assist local church leaders in creating new recipes for Christian education using a variety of fresh, innovative combinations of homegrown ingredients.

Click here to download or view "Partners in Education"

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Resources for a Sacred Conversation on Race

On May 18, 2008, many pastors across the UCC will preach on race in hopes of beginning a sacred conversation. These resources are offered to facilitate those discussions.

Click here to download or view "Resources for a Sacred Conversation on Race"

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Resources on Racism at ucc.org

Click here to download or view "Resources on Racism at ucc.org"

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Sacred Conversations on Race: Commitment to Change

"Our goal is to create a beloved community," said the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, "and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a qualitative change in our lives." This brochure offers those interested in engaging in Sacred Conversations on Race with ideas for next steps, which will help make progress toward personal commitment, congregational commitment, and community commitment to a better society.

Click here to download or view "Sacred Conversations on Race: Commitment to Change"

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Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches

This page describes in more detail the 2008 resource "Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches," and provides a link to download the PDF version of the curriculum.

Click here to download or view "Health Care for All: A Curriculum for Churches"

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Giv2 Description and Training Manual

Giv² is a CORPS of youth and adults GIVING back to our community in response to the GIFTS of God. Giv² is designed for middle and high school youth in grades 7-12 who want to explore our faith through SERVICE and FELLOWSHIP. The Training Manual attached to the description provides complete information for using this program of partnership and service.

Click here to download or view "Giv2 Description and Training Manual"

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Considerations for Church Website Design: Three "W's" and an "H"

A church's website is its manifestation in a widely traveled and increasingly busy world: the public Internet. For people unfamiliar with a congregation, it may be the first place they learn what a church is about. For some, it will be the entry into relationship; for others, it will be a place to reinforce their commitment. Many considerations come into play when a congregation designs or re-designs its website. This essay covers just four of them: touchstone questions that must be asked and answered each time, whose answers will guide the manifold choices which spring from them. They are the critical three W's (and an H).

Click here to download or view "Considerations for Church Website Design: Three "W's" and an "H""

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Spirit Calendar Archive

An archive of the Spirit Calendar, the Connecticut Conference's weekly theological reflection and prayer resource, distributed via email through the FIDO system. This archive goes back to the beginning of 2007.

Click here to download or view "Spirit Calendar Archive"

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Cool Congregations Carbon Footprint Calculator

The Regeneration Project and the Center for a Sustainable Economy have created this easy-to-use calculator for evaluating a congregation's impact on the atmosphere through carbon emissions. There is a calculator for households to use as well.

Click here to download or view "Cool Congregations Carbon Footprint Calculator"

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A Biblical Persepctive on the Environment

A Bible study compiled by the Rev. Martha M. Nilsen of the First Congregational Church UCC of South Windham.

Click here to download or view "A Biblical Persepctive on the Environment"

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