12/28/2020 - Farewell Reflections
By: Don Remick - Conference staffRev. Don Remick share his thoughts as the year and his time serving as Bridge Conference Minister come to a close.
Blogs
Blogs
12/22/2020 - The Birth of Love: A Christmas Message
By: Marilyn Kendrix Don Remick - ChristmasA message from Bridge Conference Ministers Rev. Marilyn Kendrix and Rev. Don Remick
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11/12/2020 - Covid Update: Is your Church in the High Risk Zone?
By: Don RemickFriends, This past week has had records set in the current Covid surge. We keep seeing new records across our region and across the country in terms of daily new cases, ...
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11/12/2020 - The Survey Says...
By: Don RemickThe survey says: Last month we sent a survey our to all of our churches. We were checking in on what you were doing, what you needed, what was helpful and what you were ...
11/11/2020 - On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All Other Ground is Sinking Sand
By: Marilyn Kendrix Don RemickMy hope is built on the love of God and the ever-present reality of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
10/28/2020 - Covid Survey Results, Continued
By: Don Remick - Conference staffWord cloud created from most frequently encountered words from the survey. The larger the word appears, the more often it occurred. We received nearly 300 ...
10/28/2020 - Election Exhaustion / Election Resilience
By: Don Remick - Conference staff1 John 2: 15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; 16 for all that is in the world—the desire of ...
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10/21/2020 - Election 2020: A Lot of Folks Are Nervous
By: Don Remick - Justice and WitnessIts on every news channel. It is all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram . It pops up on your cell phone notifications. It is an election year unlike any other. ...
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10/21/2020 - What Churches Are Doing Now During the Pandemic
By: Don RemickThis October our Conference sent out a survey to all of our Conference’s churches. We asked about many aspects of church life from worship to fellowship to ...
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09/29/2020 - Our Faith, Our Vote
By: Don RemickThere was a time when leadership was chosen by casting lots. Our scripture tells stories of this. But in our time that decision is up to us. But it is no less an act ...
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09/25/2020 - Pastor Appreciation Day - October 12, 2020
By: Don Remick“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching“ 1 Timothy 5:17 (NRSV) Each year a day is ...
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09/21/2020 - Covid, Heating, Ventilation and New MA Regulations: Winter is Coming
By: Don RemickFriends, There is that fall chill in the air. It is the change of seasons. And with it comes new decisions we face in our church life. The current state of this ...
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07/22/2020 - Phasing Forward into the Fall
By: Don RemickWhen the pandemic first began your Bridge Conference ministers recommended the suspension of In Person inside worship for two weeks. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, ...
07/07/2020 - Goo
By: Don RemickI was raised on the butterfly metaphor. From kids’ books to Easter symbols. I’ve preached it. I watched it unfold in grade school terrariums. And I’ve used it as ...
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07/02/2020 - COVID-19: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?
By: Don Remick - Conference staffIn the winter of 2020, the Southern New England Conference of the UCC was just beginning as a new legal and ecclesial entity. It was in this moment that news of a new ...
06/24/2020 - Council of Conference Ministers Launch Webinar Series
By: Don RemickThis is an extraordinary time. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped how we live, move and have our being in the world. And we are still learning, adapting ...
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06/10/2020 - I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore!?
By: Don RemickI don’t want to do this anymore!? In the last several weeks I’ve heard this phrase several times. Sometimes it comes directly from individual clergy. More often is ...
05/30/2020 - Pay Attention. And Act
By: Don Remick - Justice and WitnessFriends, During our weekly Bridge Conference Minister ZOOM last Thursday I offered some words related to the killing of George Floyd. Several folks asked that I make ...
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05/15/2020 - For the Long Haul
By: Don RemickWe are over 8 weeks into our pandemic requirements to Stay Home and Stay Safe. There is an often-used phrase: this is a marathon not a sprint. However, you have been ...
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05/04/2020 - PHASING FORWARD: NOW What Do We Do?
By: Don RemickWhat will phasing into worship and life as a community of faith be like for you? One more time: take a deep breath. Let it go. Notice where God is present to you in ...
04/19/2020 - It's Hump Day
By: Don RemickIt is that midpoint in the week when folks are…let’s just say it…crabby.
04/13/2020 - It's "RESURRECTION"
By: Don RemickThis past week, on Maundy Thursday I had an interesting conversation with Rev. Ken Orth, my spiritual director. He gave me a phrase that echoed with an interesting ...
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04/07/2020 - Holy Week: The Same, and Different
By: Don Remick - Holy WeekHOLY WEEK It will be the same. It will be different. This week in our sacred story we encounter the whole range of human emotion. The events of Holy Week are powerful ...
03/30/2020 - It is to Grieve
By: Don RemickGrief is complicated enough. It is even more difficult during this pandemic when we can’t say goodbye.
03/29/2020 - What’s Next in the Pandemic: Phases of Disaster
By: Don Remick - Disaster ReliefIn this moment, we will either confirm that we are irrelevant or we will demonstrate that we are essential.
03/25/2020 - Communication: Messaging and Media in this phase of Pandemic
By: Don Remick - Disaster ReliefAs we are Staying Home and Staying Safe we are discovering new ways of being church. And we are discovering again the most essential elements of being the Body of ...
03/22/2020 - Stay Safe. Stay Home
By: Don RemickAs of this morning, four states have issued a Stay Safe, Stay Home instruction. Some call it Shelter In Place. It is the more stringent guidelines to reduce the spread ...
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03/20/2020 - What Do I Do About Pastoral Care?
By: Don RemickWhat do I do about pastoral care during a time of pandemic? What do I do about wedding and funerals? These are challenging questions in a challenging time. One of ...
03/13/2020 - That Hard Place
By: Don RemickThat Hard Place I don’t like pain. I read a situation, analyze all the trajectories and options and work overtime to figure out how to get through things without causing...
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03/10/2020 - What To Do For Church
By: Don RemickFriends, Are you wondering what to do for church? This week the Governors of all three Southern New England states have declared a state of emergency related to the ...
03/02/2020 - Church and the Coronavirus
By: Don RemickIt's been a busy week since we sent out a blog (below) on the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In that time we have received a lot of resources and guidance. We’ve seen the impact...
02/20/2020 - Explorers in Uncharted Territory
By: Don RemickIt goes by many names: Uncharted Territory, Wilderness Wanderings, Liminal Space. None of them evoke feelings of fun and frolic. We don’t like uncertainty. We long for ...