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Ecumenical ONA Trainings

The Believe Out Loud Power Summit is an advanced training for leaders in the Welcoming Church Movement. Programming will include concrete skills-building in key areas of organizing and movement building, action-planning within our denominations and in partnership with local and state-wide secular efforts, dynamic worship, and visioning about the world we want to leave for our children. The Summit is scheduled for October 911, 2010, in Orlando, FL. Registration is free, but you are responsible for your own travel, lodging, and meals. To learn more, visit http://www.welcomingresources.org/BelieveOutLoud.htm.

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE CHURCH TRAININGS
Help your congregation become Open and Affirming! The UCC Coalition collaborates with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources as well as other denominationally-based "welcoming church" programs to
provide training opportunities around the nation. These ecumenical trainings teach the skills you need to help shepherd your congregation through the Open and Affirming process. See  http://www.welcomingresources.org/communityorg.htm for more information.


  • August 20–21, 2010, Indianapolis, IN
  • September 24-26, 2010, Spokane, WA
  • September 2425, 2010, Seattle, WA
  • September 30-October 2, 2010, New York, NY
  • October 2930, 2010, Boston, MA
  • November 56, 2010, Orange, CA
  • November 57, 2010, Chicago, IL
  • November 1213, 2010, Houston, TX
  • November 1920, 2010, Lawrence, KS
  • November 1921, 2010, Philadelphia, PA
  • December 1011, 2010, Harrisonburg, VA

See also http://www.welcomingresources.org/trainings.htm.

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UCC events

In September, 2010, we have a great opportunity to take our National Gathering 2010 theme, Any Body, Everybody, Christ's Body, deeper.  We can join the UCC Mental Illness Network and UCC Disabilities Ministries for Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All, in St. Louis, MO, September 23–26, 2010. At least one out of four families in your congregation is affected by a mental illness/brain disorder or disability. What a great time to continue the conversation begun in San Diego, CA! You can learn more about this opportunity at http://www.moredomainsforless.com/wideningthewelcome/index.htm.

The Association of United Church Educators (http://www.auce-educators.org) will be hosting their regional gatherings:

  • Great Lakes AUCE, October 12–14, 2010
  • Western AUCE, October 10–13, 2010

The UCC New Church Leadership Institute offers resources for UCC church planters, re-developers, and conference staff. Watch for a variety of training opportunities relating to church growth at growtheucc.memberlodge.org/Default.aspx.

Upcoming event topics include:

  • Online Gallup Assessment (available until December 31, 2010) for potential church planters and those who feel called to congregational renewal and revitalization.
  • Renewal through Spiritual Direction (August 14, 2010, webinar)
  • Trends in Church Growth (August 26, 2010, webinar)
  • Using the Church Cultural Assessment Tool to Decode your Church (August 30, 2010, webinar)
  • From Good to Great: The Key to Excellence in Leadership (September 15, 2010, webinar)
  • Why the Emergent Church Is Good News for Progressive Congregations (September 27, 2010, webinar)
  • 21st-Century Stewardship: Best Practices for Fundraising with New Technology (October 7, 2010, webinar)
  • Where are the 20-Somethings? (October 20, 2010, webinar)
  • Church Growth 101: Getting More Members for Your Church (November 17, 2010, webinar)

Also:

  • New Church Leadership Institute in Atlanta, GA (August 9–13, 2010), will explore the Seven Secrets of progressive, transformational church leadership.
  • Evangelism in the Community in Detroit, MI (November 3–7, 2010), will provide exciting tools for vital ministries that work for the small urban/suburban congregation, and is open to anyone interested in the growth, vitality and ongoing ministry of their church.

The next General Synod of the UCC will be held July 1-5, 2011, in Tampa, FL.

For more opportunities, watch the UCC calendar at www.ucc.org/calendar/.

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Other Events

The first annual FamilyFest event will be held at the Paris Resort and Casino, in the heart of the world-famous Las Vegas strip, August 6–8, 2010. Under the theme of “A Celebration of Life," we will come to celebrate our style, challenge our minds, restore our bodies, and encourage our spirits. FamilyFest will conclude with a gospel brunch on Sunday, August 8, 2010, with gospel music and a keynote by Bishop Yvette Flunder. For more information, visit www.familyfestlasvegas.com.

PFLAG Northeast Iowa will be hosting a multi-state, multi-organizational event on the campus of Luther College in Decorah, IA. Achieving Marriage Equality in the Heartland: Lessons from Iowa will be held August 1314, 2010. The conference will bring Midwestern PFLAG and allied organizations, faith-based groups, legislative leaders and policy makers together to explore how to expand marriage equality to our neighboring states, how to preserve marriage equality in Iowa, and ways to build alliances and support for achieving marriage equality throughout the heartland. For further information, contact Bill Musser at billmusser@hotmail.com.

Sisters in a Strange Land: A Retreat for Christian Lesbians will be held at the Leaven Center in Lyons, MI, August 2022, 2010. If you have been longing to connect with sisters who claim both their lesbian and their Christian identities, Sisters in a Strange Land is the place for you! To learn more, visit www.leaven.org/upcoming.htm.

Sisterly Conversations 2010: Honoring Our Diversities will be led by Virginia R. Mollenkott and Mary E. Hunt, September 1012, 2010, at the Kirkridge Retreat Center in Bangor, PA. Each year we gather at Kirkridge as lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender women and our allies. This year we will focus on honoring our community's great diversities of gender identities, lifestyles, political outlooks, religious and spiritual practices, races/colors, health issues, levels of "outness," etc. Our plenary and small-group conversations will be stimulated by presentations by Mary Hunt ("Bridging Women's Cultural Differences") and by Virginia Mollenkott ("Biblical Insights about the Otherness within Our Oneness"). For more information, please visit http://www.kirkridge.org/programs/current-programs/9/10-to-9/12/2010---sisterly-conversations---mollenkott-and-hunt-294-137.html.

Families in the Desert, sponsored by the Family Equality Council, will be held in Palm Desert, CA, October 8–10, 2010. LGBT families from all over the country will come together for a weekend of community-building and relaxing by the pool. For more details, visit www.familyequality.org/desert.

Regional Fellowship Meetings hosted by The Fellowship's Regional Administrators and local host pastors will be coming in Fall 2010. Watch for more details at www.radicallyinclusive.com.

  • September 2325, 2010 – West Coast Regional Meeting (Long Beach, CA); Pastor Bonnie Radden, Regional Administrator
  • September 30October 2, 2010 – East Coast Regional Meeting (Winston-Salem, NC); Pastor James Mills, Regional Administrator
  • October 79, 2010 – South Regional Meeting (Houston, TX); Apostle Alex Byrd, Regional Administrator
  • October 1416, 2010 – Midwest Regional Meeting (Dolton, IL, in suburban Chicago); Pastor Phyllis Pennese, Regional Administrator

The Human Rights Campaign will organize Clergy Call 2011 in Washington, DC, May 22–24, 2011. Check back for more details at www.hrc.org/issues/religion/9194.htm as the dates draw near.

The Fellowship's 2011 Annual Convocation will be held in Las Vegas, NV, July 6–10, 2011. Save the dates!

The 2011 conference of the Evangelical Network will be held in Austin, TX, July 710, 2011. Watch www.theevangelicalnetwork.net for more details.

The Equality Federation calendar is another great place you might look for local events.  Visit that calendar at http://www.equalityfederation.org/template.aspx?id=801.

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More Events

Kirkridge Events
You can preview and register for Kirkridge events by visiting their website, www.kirkridge.org.

Leaven Center Events
You can preview and register for Leaven Center events by visiting their website, www.leaven.org.

Holden Village Events
You can preview and register for Holden Village events by visiting their website, www.holdenvillage.org.

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Contact the web manager  The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns
216-861-0779
office@ucccoalition.org
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