Connecticut Conference UCC Events
Event Listings from the Connecticut Conference United Church of Christ
  • Sacred Journey 2010: July 28 - August 12
    Sacred Journey 2010 is a summer trip for high school youth to South Korea. The trip is part of an ongoing partnership between the Connecticut Conference UCC and Kyungki Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea. The two organizations have exchanged youth programs every two years since 1996. In 2008, youth delegates from Kyungki Presbytery spent a week at Silver Lake with youth from the Connecticut Conference. Sacred Journey 2010 is for high school youth who are members of the Connecticut Conference UCC. Delegates will stay with host families from Korean partner churches, attend a summer camp, and tour parts of South Korea. The group will meet for at least three orientation sessions before leaving. The chaperones/councilors will be Brian Sears from First Church in Glastonbury and Irene Choi, the Korean Partnership co-chair. Cost for the program is approximately $1600 including airfare. An Application Letter should be sent to Irene Choi by April 30th. Letters should include a brief personal profile including applicant’s background and reason for journeying to Korea. For more information, contact: Irene Choi, Co-Chair, Korean Partnership Committee of the Connecticut Conference 860.956.5040 or 860.335.8699; e-mail: inokirene@hotmail.com

  • Niantic Community Summer Supper: Aug. 3, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
    Niantic Community Church is excited to announce its 2010 schedule of Summer Suppers. An area icon of summer tradition, the church community has been opening its dining hall doors to the public since 1966 when the first Summer Supper began. The Tuesday Summer Supper fees remain the same as last year at $9 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Meals can be taken “to go” between 5:30 and 7:00pm, or eaten family style with both indoor and outdoor seatings available at 5:30 and 6:30. Niantic Community Church is handicapped accessible.

  • Niantic Community Summer Supper: Aug. 17, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
    Niantic Community Church is excited to announce its 2010 schedule of Summer Suppers. An area icon of summer tradition, the church community has been opening its dining hall doors to the public since 1966 when the first Summer Supper began. The Tuesday Summer Supper fees remain the same as last year at $9 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Meals can be taken “to go” between 5:30 and 7:00pm, or eaten family style with both indoor and outdoor seatings available at 5:30 and 6:30. Niantic Community Church is handicapped accessible.

  • Christian Educators' Roundtable Discussion: Aug. 17, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
    Are you: andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Wild about your Faith Formation ministry? - but craving a connection of your own? andlt;brandgt;Passionate about your CE and Youth work? - but frustrated by attendance issues? andlt;brandgt;Enthusiastic about all the possibilities? - but working with limited resources and volunteers? andlt;brandgt;Serving one or more generation of the church? - but needing a network of faithful collaborators? andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Whatever your need, we can help each other because we are right there with you! We are CAUCE! (The Connecticut Association of United Church Educators) A place has been reserved for you at our Discussion Table.

  • Christian Educators' Roundtable Discussion: Aug. 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
    Are you: andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Wild about your Faith Formation ministry? - but craving a connection of your own? andlt;brandgt;Passionate about your CE and Youth work? - but frustrated by attendance issues? andlt;brandgt;Enthusiastic about all the possibilities? - but working with limited resources and volunteers? andlt;brandgt;Serving one or more generation of the church? - but needing a network of faithful collaborators? andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Whatever your need, we can help each other because we are right there with you! We are CAUCE! (The Connecticut Association of United Church Educators) A place has been reserved for you at our Discussion Table.

  • Effective Pastoral Relations Committees: Aug. 28, 9:00 am - noon
    If you want to create an effective Pastoral Relations Committee or reinvigorate the one that hasn't been working well, this is for you! The facilitator is the Rev. Ineke K. Mitchell, North Central Regional Minister for the Connecticut Conference UCC.

  • Florida: Volunteer Disaster Recovery Week: Sept. 12 - 18
    Help to repair the home of an elderly lady taking care of her granddaughter. Her home was damaged during the Memorial Day rains in 2009. Her roof leaks and has caused severe ceiling damage in two bedrooms. Both bedroom ceilings stay damp following rain and the ceilings are full of mold.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Join a group of UCC Disaster Ministry volunteers and help to make this woman's home safe and healthy for both her and her granddaughter. Live at the Volunteer Housing Center at Union Congregational UCC in Holly Hill and enjoy meals prepared by a group of volunteers from Union Congregational UCC.

  • The Basics of Christian Education Course: Sept. 13 - 15
    A Continuing Education Course for Christian Educatorsandlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;This special course will provide students with a broad spectrum of the basic skills and tools needed to begin an effective ministry of Christian Education in the local church. It will enable new Christian educators with no prior formal learning to achieve a foundational understanding of the Bible, identify resources that will work best in their unique church environment, serve collegially on a professional team of church leaders, and gain a basic working understanding of the major areas of Christian Education programming (Church School, Confirmation, Youth Ministry, Adult and Intergenerational Education). In a three-day seminar format, students will be engaged in a series of lecture, small group and first-hand experiential learning units.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Participants will receive the Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) Report and Guidebook and Speed Leas' book "Discover Your Conflict Management Style." There also will be a bibliography of additional resources.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Chuck Ericson has served as Pastor of the Bolton Congregational Church UCC for more than 25 years. During this time he has become trained as a Conflict Consultant for the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, served as a Field Education Supervisor for Andover Newton Theological School, led workshops at Connecticut and National UCC Youth Events, and been appointed as an Adjunct Instructor in the "Design for Leadership" program at Defiance College. For the past 15 years, Ericson has been the Director of the "Associates in Christian Education" (ACE) program which is co-sponsored by Hartford Seminary and the Connecticut Conference of the UCC.

  • Harrell F. Beck Lecture Series: Moses, the Exodus and Archaeology: Sept. 20, 7:30pm
    Harvey Cox is Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he began teaching in 1965, both at HDS and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.His research and teaching interests focus on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. Among the issues he explores are urbanization, theological developments in world Christianity, Jewish-Christian relations, and current spiritual movements in the global setting (particularly Pentecostalism).

  • Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All: Sept. 23 - 26
    Widening the Welcome is the first national Conference jointly hosted by the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries and the United Church of Christ Mental Illness Network. Congregations are people that are called to be welcoming communities. Welcome embraces the involvement of everyone, including people who have been touched by or have experienced a mental illness/brain disorder and/or a disability, apparent or unapparent. The national statistics indicate that at least one out of four families are in some way affected by these experiences. This is true in our congregations and for us on the Planning Team.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt; We hope in this National Conference to:andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt; - educate about mental illnesses/brain disorders and disabilities;andlt;brandgt;- learn how to develop Mental Health Ministries and A2A (Accessible to All) Covenants in your congregation;andlt;brandgt;- share best practices by telling stories, learning from each other, and networking; andandlt;brandgt;- offer spiritual support group experiences and worship together.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt; Keynote speakers who will be with us for the entire Conference are Dr./Sister Nancy Kehoe and Dr. Debbie Creamer.

  • CT Women of the UCC Eastern District Retreat: Sept. 25
    Join us for a continuation of our theme from Celebration VIII -- Building Bridges -- at Ender's Island in Mystic!andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Many times in life we are aware of the chasms that are between our current world and the dreams we have and the world that seems impossible. The choices we make trying to find the courage to follow our dreams despite the obstacles and the working of the Spirit in unexpected ways helps to make the bridges become visible. andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Once we are across, others can now see the path and follow more easily. Not because those who've gone before have completely wiped out all the obstacles, nor that those who follow don't also have to find courage and trust within them, but at least they know that others have made it across. andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;We're called to follow Jesus who showed us the way -- and say thanks! In the midst of our life journeys, it's helpful to be in fellowship with those who hear that call or who have already made it to a place of grace and visibly show us that there is a place of peace after the trials and preparation.

  • Pathways: Youth Ministry Leader Seminar: Sept. 25, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Bring your leaders and youth for a day of training, worship, and fellowship to explore the pathways to excellent in Youth Ministry. One day can make a difference.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;What can you expect: Two tracks: the Adult Track and the Youth Track, with paths crossing for fellowship and lunch. Engaging leaders, relevant ideas, and the sustenance of interaction with others who bear the same passion for Jesus Christ, for youth, and for the intersection of the two!

  • General Association: Sept. 26, 7:00 pm - Sept. 28, 3:00pm
    Who was Jesus of Nazareth? What was the purpose of his life, death, and resurrection? The affirmation that Jesus was the Incarnate One whose death and resurrection brought salvation to humanity is the central affirmation of the Christian faith. But how is Jesus understood in the Jewish and Muslim faiths?andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;"Building Tabernacles of Peace: An Interfaith Conversation" brings two scholars and faith leaders from the other Abrahamic traditions to share their skills in interfaith dialogue. Imam Abdullah Antepli and Professor Yehezkel Landau will help participants to better understand the Jewish and Muslim teachings about Jesus, furthering their ability to speak honestly and sensitively in multi-faith situations. Antepli and Landau will also reflect on the meaning of "peace" and share their experiences in peace-making.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;A native of Turkey, Abdullah Antepli completed his basic training and education there, and currently serves as Muslim chaplain at Duke University. He has Connecticut connections, serving as associate director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program and Interfaith Relations at Hartford Seminary from 2005 until recently. He completed his D.Min. project at Hartford Seminary in 2009. A proverbial presence on campus, he engages students, faculty and staff through seminars, panels, and other avenues to provide an Islamic voice to discussions of faith, spirituality, social justice and other topics.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Yehezkel Landau is Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations at Hartford Seminary. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Divinity School, Landau is a dual American-Israeli citizen, and he has spent much effort on interfaith education and Jewish-Arab peacemaking. He directed the Oz veSHALOM-NETIVOT SHALOM religious peace movement in Israel in the 1980s. He lectures internationally on Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations and Middle East peace issues, and has authored and edited numerous journal articles and anthology contributions. At Hartford Seminary, Professor Landau directs an interfaith training program for Jews, Christians, and Muslims called "Building Abrahamic Partnerships."andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;The General Association is the annual gathering of ordained, licensed, and commissioned ministers, Christian Educators, and church musicians of the Connecticut Conference. First held in 1709, General Association is the oldest continuous gathering of clergy in the United States.

  • Fall Rummage Sale: Oct. 1, 9:00 am
    The Annual Fall Rummage Sale at United Congregational Church of Bridgeport will be held on Saturday Oct 1 from 9 am - 2 pm and on Sunday Oct 2 from 11:30 am - 2 pm. Clothing, household, jewelry, toys, Christmas Booth, Boutique, are just a few of the many items offered for sale. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For directions call 203.335.3107 or log on to UCCBridgeport.org.

  • Harrell F. Beck Lecture Series: Jeremiah, Job and the Biblical View of Suffering: Oct. 4, 7:30pm
    Harvey Cox is Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he began teaching in 1965, both at HDS and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.His research and teaching interests focus on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. Among the issues he explores are urbanization, theological developments in world Christianity, Jewish-Christian relations, and current spiritual movements in the global setting (particularly Pentecostalism).

  • Harrell F. Beck Lecture Series:Jesus in Jerusalem: The Gospels and the New Research: Oct. 18, 7:30pm
    Harvey Cox is Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he began teaching in 1965, both at HDS and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.His research and teaching interests focus on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. Among the issues he explores are urbanization, theological developments in world Christianity, Jewish-Christian relations, and current spiritual movements in the global setting (particularly Pentecostalism).

  • Connecticut Conference Annual Meeting: Fall Session: Oct. 22 - 23
    The Fall Session of the 143rd Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the formation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, whose charter was signed in the home of Noah Porter in Farmington, Connecticut.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;The keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary General for Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination of the United Nations. His responsibilities include advising the Secretary-General on a full range of strategic issues.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Dr. Orr grew up in a UCC church in California and found his passion for the Wider Church as a youth delegate to General Synod. He was the keynote speaker for the Wider Church Ministries Banquet at General Synod in 2009.

  • Harrell F. Beck Lecture Series: Where Paul Stands After the New Scroll Finds: Oct. 25, 7:30pm
    Harvey Cox is Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he began teaching in 1965, both at HDS and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.His research and teaching interests focus on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. Among the issues he explores are urbanization, theological developments in world Christianity, Jewish-Christian relations, and current spiritual movements in the global setting (particularly Pentecostalism).

  • Harrell F. Beck Lecture Series: Rescuing Revelation from the Religious Right: Nov. 1, 7:30pm
    Harvey Cox is Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he began teaching in 1965, both at HDS and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.His research and teaching interests focus on the interaction of religion, culture, and politics. Among the issues he explores are urbanization, theological developments in world Christianity, Jewish-Christian relations, and current spiritual movements in the global setting (particularly Pentecostalism).

  • Evangelism In The Community Conference: Nov. 3-7, 2010
    Evangelism in the Community is a conference designed for the small city church. All persons interested in the growth, vitality and on going ministry of their church are encouraged to attend. andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Some of the exciting workshops: Affordable, Effective, Entrepreneurial Models for Ministry; Are you Plugged in -- Retreat for youth; Stewardship from a Faith Perspective; Bread for Today/Bread for Eternity (transforming our ministries into opportunit ies for faith-sharing and community building)