Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body

Registration is now open for National Gathering 2010, in San Diego, CA, from July 14–17, 2010. Check out our National Gathering page for all the details at http://www.ucccoalition.org/programs/gathering/. Mark your calendars, watch for further updates, and get ready to march with the UCC Coalition in Pride San Diego!

Register Now!

The UCC Coalition collaborates with other "welcoming church" programs to provide training opportunities around the nation.  See http://www.welcomingresources.org/communityorg.htm for more information.

• March 12–14, 2010, Birmingham, AL
• April 9–11, 2010, Hayward, CA
• April 16–18, 2010, Denver, CO
• April 23–24, 2010, Denver, CO
• April 30–May 1, 2010, Dallas, TX
• May 1, 2010, Duluth, MN

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

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

• Mid-Atlantic AUCE, April 12–14, 2010, Huffs Church, PA
• New England AUCE, May 4–6, 2010, Cape Cod, MA
• Great Lakes AUCE, October 12–14, 2010
• Western AUCE, October 10–13, 2010

Share 2010, the national student-ministry gathering of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, will gather college students and campus pastors in the summer of 2010 for a week of fellowship, networking, service, learning, and worship. Share 2010 will be held June 28–July 2, 2010, at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. For more information, visit www.stepnetwork.org.

2010 is the year of regional youth events in the United Church of Christ, and there are six of them!

• Southern: June 10–13, 2010, at Dillard University, New Orleans, LA (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/southern-region-youth-event.html)
  
• Great Lakes: June 17–20, 2010, at Defiance College, Defiance, OH (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/great-lakes-region-youth.html)
  
• New England: June 24–27, 2010, at Boston University, Boston, MA (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/new-england-region-youth.html)
• Western Region: Jul 6–10, 2010, at Montana State University, Billings, MT (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/western-region-youth-event.html)
  
• Mid-Atlantic: July 21–25, 2010, at Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/mid-atlantic-region-youth.html)
  
• West Central: July 14–18, 2010, at Park University, Parkville, MO (http://www.ucc.org/calendar/west-central-region-youth.html)

Please consider these opportunities for youth you know. The UCC Coalition's Youth and Young Adult program is also seeking adult volunteers to assist with staffing the events. Please contact Tim Brown at yya@ucccoalition.org for more information.

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:

• Leading Liberal Latino/as (March 9, 2010, webinar)
• Learning to Laugh at Church: The Power of Comedy in Worship (March 24, 2010, webinar) with Gwen Thomas!
• U-Turns Allowed on Turning Your Congregation Around (April 13, 2010, webinar)
• Living Out the ONA Commitment (April 28, 2010, webinar) with Gwen Thomas!
• Progressive Renewal (May 11, 2010, webinar)
• Coping Tips for Tough Times (May 26, 2010, webinar) with Gwen Thomas!
• Planting New Progressive Churches (June 17, 2010, webinar)
• Growing Liberal Churches in Conservative Places (July 12, 2010, webinar)
• Renewal through Spiritual Direction (August 14, 2010, webinar)

Also:

• Shepherding the Shepherd, sponsored by the 2030 Clergy Network of the United Church of Christ (June 1–3, 2010, at Chicago Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL)

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

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

Clark Memorial UCC in St. Paul, MN, will host an ONA Celebration, Sunday, April 25, 2010, 2:30–5:30 pm.  Workshops at 2:30 pm will focus on “Open and Affirming” basics—ONA 101 and the inclusion of transgender in the church’s ONA commitment. The sermon during the 4 pm worship will be given by the Rev. Dr. Anita Bradshaw, former National Field Organizer for the Welcoming Church Movement and now Director of Judicatory Based Education for Eden Theological Seminary. Music will be provided by the choir from Spirit of the Lakes and Minnehaha United Churches of Christ, under the direction of David Lohman.

Witnesses … to God’s Love for all: The Minnesota Gathering will be held at the College of St. Benedict, MN, June 10-11, 2010, prior to the MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting. This is the third annual gathering and will feature keynote presenter, Rev. Michael (Mike) Schuenemeyer, Executive for Health and Wholeness Advocacy with Wider Church Ministries in the national setting of the United Church of Christ. We will spend time exploring what it means to be witnesses to the “open and affirming” movement and how we share our stories of faith both individually and as a church. For more information, contact Marc W. Blakesley at 612-325-1467 or MWBlakesley@comcast.net.

Let us know what you have planned, by contacting communications@ucccoalition.org.

Out in the SILENCE is now showing around the country.  Following the story of a small American town confronting a firestorm of controversy ignited by a same-sex wedding announcement in the local newspaper, this documentary illustrates the challenges of being an outsider in a conservative rural community and the change that is possible when courageous people break the silence and search for common ground. Check their website at wpsu.org/outinthesilence/ for up-to-date listings.

• March 5, 2010, Ligonier, PA
• March 13, 2010, East Stroudsburg, PA
• March 13, 2010, Columbia, SC
• March 17, 2010, Greensburg, PA
• March 17, 2010, Waynesburg, PA
• March 18, 2010, Bloomsburg, PA
• March 22, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA
• March 23, 2010, Greenville, PA
• March 25, 2010, Bethlehem, PA
• March 26, 2010, Indiana, PA
• March 29, 2010, New Castle, PA
• March 30, 2010, Slippery Rock, PA
• April 1, 2010, Kittanning, PA
• April 9, 2010, Erie, PA
• April 15, 2010, Little Rock, AR
• April 19, 2010, Annville, PA
• April 20, 2010, Reading, PA
• April 24, 2010, Denver, CO
• April 27, 2010, Spearhead, SD
• May 1, 2010, Philadelphia, PA
• May 28, 2010, Bermuda
• June 1, 2010, Eugene, OR
• September 12, 2010, Charlotte, NC

Worship, study and dialogue with hundreds of people of faith at the 10th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days, then go to Capitol Hill to advocate for our members of Congress to remedy these global injustices. The 2010 conference will be held March 19–22, 2010, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City, VA, just outside Washington, DC. For more information, visit advocacydays.org.

The Second Annual We Are 1: Women's Conference will be held April 8-10, 2010, in Raleigh, NC. Keynote speakers and workshop presenters will include Bishop Yvette Flunder and the Rev. Deborah A. Johnson. For more information, visit www.infinitydiamondclub.com or call Priscilla at 919-685-2590.

UCLA's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Leadership Institute is a five-month leadership-development program that combines a 3-day on-site campus experience bookended by leadership assessments, web conferences, and individual coaching. The program is designed for managers and leaders who want to increase their value to their organizations and advance their careers. The program begins April 7, 2010, with the on-campus session occurring June 7-10, 2010. For more information, visit www.anderson.ucla.edu/x27612.xml.

Christian People of the Rainbow, led by Virginia Mollenkott and Mark Bailey, will be held June 11–13, 2010, at the Kirkridge Retreat Center (Bangor, PA) with the theme "Embodiment: Our Prison? or Our Power?" Presentations, interactive workshops, singing, worship, and a panel of participants will address embodiment from the perspective of LGBTQ people and their friends and families. For more information, visit www.kirkridge.org.

The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) will be held July 18–23, 2010, in Vienna, Austria. For more information, visit www.aids2010.org.

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.

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.

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.