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God's Extravagant Welcome
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Get the Latest Updates in YOUR Email Inbox! Ripples - Holy Week 2009Life in Hi-DefThe Holy Week story stands out from its background: We are aware of the setting in Jerusalem, but our perspective on the story is through our Christian lens. We see Jesus in high relief through the events of the week: the parade and praise of Palm Sunday, the intimacy of Jesus’ dinner with his friends, the betrayal by one of those friends, and Jesus’ arrest, trial, conviction and execution. We feel the starkness and confusion when, after the Sabbath, Jesus’ friends return to the tomb and find his body gone. All of those events, however, we see through the end of the story: Jesus’ resurrection. Holy Week, with its tremendous heights and painful lows culminates in a celebration of God’s grace bringing life into emptiness. Jesus’ followers were so changed by their experience of the resurrection that they carried on Jesus' ministry of healing, truth-telling, and justice. They found the inspiration and strength to follow the path of love. Certain circumstances bring other parts of our life into high definition. When the frills fall away, we see the fundamental architecture of our lives. How do we make decisions? Whom do we seek for energy, comfort, and help? What are our priorities? These value-clarifying moments tend to come after a big change. Our lives are shaken into new forms by a new relationship, a new place to live, fresh grief, a birth. In this economy, all of us are making choices. We choose how to respond to challenges, how to help others, how to celebrate amid uncertainty. The sharpness of this moment can bring new ways of seeing our lives, and clarity about values. It’s rare that we know the duration of any particular one these high-definition periods. How much stamina do we need? How much insight can I handle? During Holy Week, retelling the stories of Jesus’ death and his friends’ grief, the losses recounted often connect with our own. We feel the grief of Jesus’ friends because we know what grief is like. As Christians, though, we experience Maundy Thursday and Good Friday through our knowledge and experience of Easter. Whatever loss we experience, we anticipate the pain redeemed by the resurrection. From death comes, not only life, but the abundant, enduring life that Jesus promises. The tomb is not empty because everything is gone; the tomb is empty because new life in God cannot be contained by something as small as the grave. Carl Richter, Pastor of First Congregational Church in Lorain, Ohio, says that, as Christians, we live not with the hope of new life, but with the anticipation of resurrection. Not simply wishing that our lives will improve, we expect that God’s spirit breathed into our circumstances will bring new life. May this season bring life and renewal to you. Easter blessings to you, by God’s grace and love— Ruth Garwood Growing BOLD Banquet to feature UCC President, John Thomas
United Church of Christ President and General Minister, the Rev. John Thomas, will reflect upon what The UCC Coalition's Open and Affirming movement means to the church on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at 6:00 pm. You do not want to miss this historic address. More details on Growing BOLD programming are available at www.ucccoalition.org/programs/gathering/ Stay for General Synod where you can hear Urvashi Vaid speak at the Coalition's Synod luncheon on Friday, June 26, 2009, on the topic of what The UCC Coalition's Open and Affirming movement means to the national LGBT movement. More details on Coalition activities at Synod are available at www.ucccoalition.org/news/events/synod Less than a month until first Growing BOLD registration deadlineOur 2009 National Gathering, Growing BOLD, will be a celebration of Open and Affirming, an exploration of what ONA can be in its fullest expression, and an opportunity for worship, fellowship, celebration, and engagement. Join us June 22–25, 2009, in Grand Rapids, MI, to kick-off the week of General Synod. Act now to get your early registration discount! The $99 registration rate is available only through April 30, 2009. Register online at https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=ZZ2V6K7 Don't forget your hotel reservations! A discount hotel rate of $82 plus tax is available, if you mention this event. When calling the hotel, please call the local property at 616-957-1770 rather than the national reservation 800 number. You need to mention "GROWING BOLD" to receive one of our reserved rooms at the special room rate. Many more details are available online, including mail-in registration materials, schedule, confirmed speakers, and more: www.ucccoalition.org/programs/gathering/ Scripture Theme for Growing BOLDLet us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:18-21 The Coalition is seeking Frequent-Flyer-Mile donationsThe UCC Coalition is seeking frequent-flyer-mile donations. We would like to collect frequent-flyer miles to help provide scholarship support to folks who may not be able to join us this year at Growing Bold in Grand Rapids, MI, unless they have some assistance. Please contact office@ucccoalition.org or 800-653-0799 to arrange for your contribution. We are also glad to accept cash contributions toward our Growing Bold scholarship fund. More volunteer opportunitiesVideo Advisors: The Coalition staff and our volunteers are delving into video recording for some small, targeted projects. We have started collecting short video clips but could use some support, particularly around format, audio sync, and file optimization. Assistance would be very occasional on an ad hoc basis. We would also love to have a volunteer who could do minor video editing (e.g., add an intro and closing slide) and monitor our efforts on YouTube and other video-sharing sites. Outreach caller: Our Growing BOLD conference has an exciting program, and we want to make sure that people know about it. Personal invitations are the best way for us to reach people. For someone who loves connecting by telephone, this is a great opportunity to extend awareness of the event and The Coalition. Phone calls need to be made by the end of April so that people can take advantage of the early registration deadline for Growing BOLD. Research assistant: We want to be able to direct people to our ONA churches, but we only have web addresses for some of them. Meanwhile, the Coalition’s database will be most effective if it is updated with other information as well. A detail-oriented person can work on flexible deadlines to gather this information from the web and from UCC data. Please contact the Coalition's national office at office@ucccoalition.org or 1-800-653-0799 to find out more about these opportunities! Don't Call Yourself Progressive If You Don't Support Sexual Justice
Debra Haffner writes on the Huffington Post about the growing rift between the religious left and religious progressives on issues of sexual justice. Let me be clear: You cannot call yourself a religious progressive if you don't support full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, if you don't support women's moral agency regarding abortion, or if you don't support comprehensive sexuality education that gives our young people the life-saving information they need. But you won't hear certain self-described "progressive religious leaders" standing up or speaking out for these issues. Read her full article for yourself: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-debra-haffner/dont-call-yourself-progre_b_182909.html Important Youth Survey UnderwayAs part of the study process of Youth and Young Adult Ministries that the UCC is currently conducting, there is an online survey in which you may wish to participate. (http://uccyyasurvey.questionpro.com/). Please forward it to others you may know, whether youth, young adults, youth ministers, chaplains, those interested in being advocates for YYAs, etc. It will take 15–20 minutes to complete the survey. Massachusetts CelebrationsKathie Carpenter, MA Conference ONA consultant, reports on efforts in the Massachusetts Conference, including a statewide celebration, outreach in Provincetown, and delegations at Pride... The Spirit shone on the ONA Celebration Worship Service, called “We’re 90 in ’09,” when we celebrated the over 90 ONA settings in the MA Conference. Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Conference Minister and President and a vocal justice and ONA advocate, inspired the congregation to the theme of Cornel West’s words that “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Read all the details at www.ucccoalition.org/programs/ona/who/list/ona_celebrations/200904/. New Regional Events SectionThanks to Mark Seifried for working to gather stories from our Coalition ONA consultants about what is going on around the country. To highlight this information, we have created a new Regional Coalition/ONA Efforts section on our Events page. You can check out our first listings (from Minnesota) at www.ucccoalition.org/news/events/. Please let us know what is going on in your area. You can reach us at communications@ucccoalition.org, if you don't already have Mark's contact information. Popular blogger highlights effort by ONA congregationPam's House Blend, a popular progressive blog, recently highlighted the efforts of Congregational United Church of Christ of Arlington Heights in collaboration with the Gay Liberation Network. The groups gathered to protest outside Peter LaBarbera's anti-gay speaking engagement in Arlington Heights, IL. Read the details for yourself at http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=10061. New ONA SettingsWelcome and congratulations to these recently declared ONA congregations!
The up-to-date list can be found here: http://www.ucccoalition.org/programs/ona/who/list/ Total active ONA congregations: 790 Note: We need your help to update our list of ONA churches to include website links. If your web link is missing, please contact communications@ucccoalition.org with updated information. Thank you! Coalition leaders supporting Jewish efforts to promote LGBT inclusionExecutive Director, Ruth Garwood, was part of the consultation convened in New York City by Jewish Mosaic and the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College. People from a wide spectrum of Jewish practice appreciated hearing about our experience with ONA. Mike Schuenemeyer, of the UCC Health and Wholeness Advocacy Office, participated in a session of the consultation held in Los Angeles. Read more about these efforts at jta.org/news/article/2009/03/12/1003364/synagogues-acting-to-be-more-open-to-gays. Coalition Staff on the Move: Tim BrownYouth and Young Adult Program Coordinator, Timothy Brown, participated in one of the UCC's focus groups for Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Five groups were convened to offer direction and feedback to the denomination about ministry with youth and young adults. This group met at the Massachusetts Conference Center in Framingham. Video clips from the focus groups are available online at video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKadfLT-a44. About "Newsbits"You'll find "Newsbits" in the lower left corner of our home page. It provides quick links to recent news items that may be of interest to Coalition members. We'll also be giving you the headlines in Ripples, but if you want to catch breaking news as it happens, just check our website regularly! www.ucccoalition.org Newsbits: NewsNewsbits: Organizing for JusticeUpcoming Coalition EventsApplied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) training is being offered twice in the near future by Youth and Young Adult Coordinator, Tim Brown. UCC Church House, Cleveland, OH
Park University, Parkville, MO
Join The UCC Coalition's Youth and Young Adult Coordinator, Tim Brown, and stand-out volunteer trainer, Eric Koepnick, for Biblical Self Defense Workshop & Training, June 4–6, 2010, in Fremont, CA, sponsored by the Northern California Nevada Conference of the UCC. For more information, visit www.ncncucc.org/page/happenings/biblical-self-defense-workshop-training-fri-sun-june-4-6. Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s BodyRegistration 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! On the Road with TimOn the Road with Gwen
On the Road with Tim
Ecumenical ONA TrainingsThe 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.
See also http://www.welcomingresources.org/trainings.htm. Upcoming UCC eventsThe Association of United Church Educators (http://www.auce-educators.org) will be hosting their regional and national gatherings:
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!
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:
Also:
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/. Regional Coalition/ONA effortsThe Riverside Church (UCC and American Baptist) Maranatha Ministries, together with Other Sheep, is sponsoring "The Human Rights Crisis in Uganda" on March 23, 2010, at 7pm at The Riverside Church (Manhattan, NY). Political Research Associates representative, Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, author of "Globalizing the Culture Wars: U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia," and Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) leader Frank Mugisha will discuss the intersecting of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill, U.S. church politics, and the Institute on Democracy and Religion. 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. More Upcoming EventsOut 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.
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. The 15th Annual Rainbow Families Conference is a community-building and learning event for current and prospective LGBT parents and their children, family members and friends, area educators, and community members. This year's event will be held Saturday, April 10, 2010, in Minneapolis, MN. For more information, visit www.familyequality.org/events/conference/. The 2010 Equality Forum will be held April 26–May 2, 2010, in Philadelphia, PA. The international focus this year is on Africa, in addition to 25 panel presentations and a wide-range of special events. Most of the events in this week-long event are free, and several are spiritual/religious in nature. For more information, visit www.equalityforum.com. The Evangelical Network Conference 2010 will be held in Los Angeles, CA, at the Crowne Plaza Irvine Hotel (at John Wayne Orange County Airport), April 28–May 2, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=786043. 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 joint Fellowship and MCC 2010 Conference, "Imagine," will be held in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, June 28–July 2, 2010. Preachers include Bishop Yvette Flunder, Elder Nancy Wilson, and more, with Bible study, workshops, children/youth programming, and fun in the sun! For more information, visit www.generalconference.mccchurch.org. Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC) will gathering for their in Cleveland, OH, July 14–18, 2010. The theme is Old Lesbian Pride: Sharpening the Radical Edge. For more information, visit www.OLOC.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. 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.
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. Job AnnouncementsProgressive Welcoming & Affirming Baptist Congregation Seeks PastorUniversity Baptist Church, Seattle WA seeks a full-time pastor to walk in ministry with us as we divest ourselves of a building that no longer serves our vision of ministry. We are an active and mission-oriented congregation that values care and compassion for one another. With a long history of mission work locally and globally, we continue to advocate for social and multicultural concerns related to an urban church. As a Welcoming and Affirming community, we celebrate our ethnic, social, and theological diversity. Our worship speaks through preaching, music, drama, and prayer. We seek a pastor whose prophetic voice is enriched by sound scholarship. For more information, contact Mary Rolston at ubcsea.search@gmail.com and visit our website at ubcseattle.org . If American Baptist, please request profile be sent to Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches, attn: Rev. Dr. Marcia Patton. Asian Pacific Islander Family Pride Seeks Part-Time Volunteer CoordinatorAsian Pacific Islander Family Pride Seeks Part-Time Volunteer Coordinator. Application deadline is April 12, 2010. For more information, visit www.apifamilypride.org/volunteering.html. NYAC seeks fellow or internThe National Youth Advocacy Coalition is looking for a graduate fellow or undergraduate intern for the following research project and/or practicum opportunity. This is an excellent opportunity to be engaged in community research, with the possibility of being included in report publications. The intern would be involved in data collection, analysis, and report writing in conjunction with NYAC and a national working group. For more information, visit http://www.nyacyouth.org/pages.php?id=37. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Seeks Fellows to Work with Communities of Faith and Communities of ColorThe National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Academy for Leadership and Action (the Academy) prepares leaders and potential leaders, primarily at the local and state levels, to fill the staff, board, and volunteer roles critical to the success of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. The Summer Academy Fellowship is a paid social-justice fellowship that provides the first-hand, real-world experience working for social justice necessary for becoming professional organizers or capacity builders. You’ll learn to develop and disseminate a progressive worldview that connects LGBT issues to struggles against racism, classism, ableism, and spiritual oppression; to build relationships with a broad-cross section of other LGBT movement leaders, especially in communities of faith and communities of color, that will endure for the long-term; and to mobilize mass numbers of people for direct action targeted at achieving immediate political gains for the LGBT community. For more information, visit http://www.thetaskforce.org/about_us/interns_and_fellows/academy_fellowship. Black AIDS Institute seeks staff:
HRC Seeks Scholars for Scholarship and Summer Institute ProgramsThe Human Rights Campaign Foundation LGBT Scholarship and Mentorship program for Religious and Theological Study seeks to encourage and promote the dialogue on LGBT issues and religion in seminaries and, by extension, in our congregations and communities by investing in the next generation of LGBTQ and allied scholars. Applications are now being accepted for the Dissertation Scholarship and the Summer Institute. For more information, visit www.hrc.org/seminaryscholarship/index.asp. Equality Federation Job AnnouncementsThe Equality Federation keeps an up-to-date list of openings in state-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organizations. Please refer to http://www.equalityfederation.org/template.aspx?id=15. The Human Rights Campaign maintains a database of scholarship opportunities for LGBT and allied students. Review it yourself at www.hrc.org/issues/youth_and_campus_activism/8644.htm. |
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