09/16/2020 - UCC Offers Compassion and Prayer for 2020 Western Wildfires Victims
Written by Phyllis Richards Massive wildfires burning in California, Oregon and Washington have created havoc for many UCC members, churches and ...
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News
09/15/2020 - President's Report to the 2020 Annual Meeting Released
Board of DirectorsThe following Board President's Report has been prepared for the Annual Meeting, to be held Sept. 26, 2020: By Rev. Jocelyn B. Gardner Spencer ...
09/08/2020 - Conferences Offer Free Interactive Worship Workshop with Marcia McFee
Church Growth and VitalityThe Southern New England Conference, UCC has subscribed to a Dr. Marcia McFee's 6-week interactive "Reboot Your Worship" online worship experience ...
09/07/2020 - Conference Ministers - Past and Present - Issue Pastoral Letter
Justice and WitnessReal structural change has to happen in our national and local structures where racism still exists even while flags and monuments are being removed.
09/01/2020 - 2020 Treasurer's Report Released
The following Treasurer's Report has been prepared for the Annual Meeting, to be held Sept. 26, 2020: Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ Treasurer’s Report to the Annual Meeting by Calvin Price August 24, 2020 As I write this report, we are ...
09/01/2020 - 25 and 50 Year Ordinands 2020
Annual MeetingThe Southern New England Conference celebrates with clergy who are marking 25 and 50 years of their Ordination.
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09/01/2020 - Delegate Counts Will Change for Some Churches
By: Tiffany Vail - Annual MeetingDelegates from all three conferences at the November Annual Meeting. The formation of the Southern New England Conference is bringing about a lot of changes, and one may be how many delegates churches should be electing to attend Annual Meeting. According to ...
09/01/2020 - Executive Conference Minister Candidate Announced
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference staffThe Rev. Darrell Goodwin – a pastor with experience in higher education and in varied ministry settings of the United Church of Christ – will be presented to Annual Meeting voters as the candidate to serve as the Southern New England Conference’s first Executive ...
09/01/2020 - Executive Search Process Was Unusual
By: Marilyn Kendrix - Conference staffThe Search Committee did most of its work via Zoom The following was written by Bridge Conference Minister The Rev. Marilyn Kendrix, who staffed the Executive Conference Minister Search Committee: After working together for many months, the Executive ...
08/26/2020 - Annual Meeting: It's Official
Annual MeetingDue to the extended State of Emergency in Massachusetts, the Sept. 26 online Conference gathering will be the first official Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference, which was formally incorporated on Jan. 1, 2020. The Meeting will be woven through with ...
08/26/2020 - Four Staff Positions Filled in New Structure
Conference staffBridge Conference Ministers Marilyn Kendrix and Don Remick have announced that four current staff members have been tapped to continue serving in the new Conference staff structure. The announcement is the first of its kind in a transitional process that will continue ...
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08/26/2020 - Townsley to Leave Conference Staff
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference staffThe Rev. Suzi Townsley, Associate Conference Minister for Innovation, has announced plans to leave the Conference staff for a call at a local church in Maine. "The opportunity to take the learnings of my years of study and experience in innovation, leadership and ...
08/25/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: The Bell Tolls for All of Us
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightNorfield Church Rings Bell to Remind Community of Injustice Experienced by People of Color
08/25/2020 - Two Search Committees Formed
Conference staffTwo search committees have been formed to assist in the process of restructuring the Conference staff. One will take on the task of filling the six regional positions, while another will search for one of the three executive positions, the Executive for Missional ...
08/19/2020 - Camp Ruggles Serves During Pandemic
Outdoor MinistriesCamp Ruggles, a therapeutic summer day camp for children diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities, has operated on the grounds of Irons Homestead - the Southern New England Conference retreat center in Glocester, RI - for 46 years. The camp typically runs ...
08/19/2020 - Southern New England Conference Churches Selected for Thriving Congregations Initiative
By: Karen Ziel - Church Growth and Vitality Faith Formation and Christian Education Leadership DevelopmentNine Southern New England Conference congregations have been selected to participate in a Thriving Congregations Initiative proposed and offered by ...
08/18/2020 - Conference Seeks Digital Minister
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference staffWhen the pandemic began in March, churches had no choice but to start offering worship and other spiritual gatherings online rather than in person Many pastors and church volunteers learned on the fly how to be video editors, producers and more. And while some ...
08/12/2020 - Conference Offices to Remain Closed for the Year
Conference programming Conference staffWe have directed all of our staff to continue to work remotely and refrain from any in-person gatherings that could put them and their loved ones at risk.
08/05/2020 - Responding to Hurricane Isaias
Disaster ReliefWe are reaching out to all the members of our Conference to check in and invite you to check in with each other.
08/04/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Taking it To-Go
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightNorthborough Church Serves Drive-Thru Community Meals
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08/04/2020 - Conference Begins Search Process for Regional Staff
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference staffThe Southern New England Conference has recently posted a number of staff positions to the national UCC website, including six for "Area Conference ...
07/20/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Affordable Option for Making Phone Calls to the Entire Congregation
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightTerryville Church Uses Voice Broadcast System to Get the Word out
07/19/2020 - Kendrix/Remick/Siladi Fund Announced
Conference staffThe Board of Directors has voted to invite contributions in honor of the Bridge Conference Ministers - Marilyn Kendrix, Don Remick and Kent Siladi - to a fund that focuses on faith formation and stewardship. The Board voted to re-name the Seeds of Faith Fund, which was...
07/15/2020 - Conference Staff Restructuring Begins
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference budget Conference staffThe Bridge Conference Ministers have begun restructuring the Conference staff following a three-month delay due to the pandemic.
07/07/2020 - Silver Lake Site Manager To Join Staff
Outdoor MinistriesSilver Lake Conference Center is excited to introduce you to the new Silver Lake Site Manager, Matt Taylor. Matt has decades of experience with Silver Lake, starting as a young camper, continuing through summer staff, followed by decades of volunteering. Matt is ...
07/06/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Bringing God, Kids, and Animals Together Online with a Song
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightWest Stockbridge Church Offers Online Musical Menagerie Children’s Messages
07/01/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Northampton Church Sees New Energy - and New Members - Online
By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and Vitality SpotlightTwo churches share experiences with online events and the energy they've seen as a result.
06/29/2020 - Siladi Stepping Down as Bridge Conference Minister
Conference staffIn a letter emailed out across the Southern New England Conference Monday, the Rev. Kent Siladi announced his resignation as Bridge Conference Minister. He will be taking on the role of Director of Philanthropy for the national setting of the United Church of Christ. ...
06/25/2020 - 2020 UCC Stewardship Materials Now Available
Stewardship"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." - 1 John 4:7 Materials for your congregation's 2020 stewardship campaign featuring the theme "Beloved, Love" are now available in print form or as a digital ...
06/24/2020 - Annual Meeting Attendees Receive Kaur Book
Annual MeetingAttendees of last November's Annual Meeting have been finding a pleasant surprise in their mailboxes recently: copies of Keynote Speaker Valarie Kaur's new book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary War. Part of the arrangement for Kaur to speak at ...
06/23/2020 - List of RIP Medical Debt Donors
The folks at United Church on the Green, UCC: New Haven, CT will dedicate their Easter offering to the SNEUCC RIP Medical Debt Initiative; AND they will match that from their Outreach Budget. Church of the Good Shepherd in West Woodstock, CT, counts between 8...
06/21/2020 - WWLP.COM:Community to-go meals resume at First Congregational Church of Chicopee
Local BuzzChicopee’s First Congregational Church resumed its mission late Sunday afternoon of providing food for families facing hard times caused by the ...
06/16/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: How to Stay Calm and “Be Not Afraid” During Pandemic
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightPayson Park Church Offers Online Meditation
06/13/2020 - TELEGRAM.COM: Worcester’s Park Congregational Church ends 133-year run
Local BuzzPeople have worshipped at Park Congregational Church United Church of Christ since 1887, but the number of members has plummeted so the church will ...
06/12/2020 - Clergy Work Together on Online Worship
By: Andrew PageSix UCC churches along the Massachusetts shoreline of Buzzards Bay worked together in May to produce an online Pentecost worship.
06/09/2020 - SPOTLIGHT - Afterschool Program Goes Online
By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and Vitality SpotlightPilgrim Congregational in Harwich Port Responds to Covid-19 With Online Children's Program
06/04/2020 - CTPOST: Milford clergy lie silently on ground to note last minutes of George Floyd’s life
Local BuzzA heartbeat coming from a loudspeaker drowned out the noise of traffic around the Milford Green when 16 members of the clergy and 100-plus ...
06/04/2020 - MIDDLETOWN PRESS: First Church Middletown launches partnership to feed city’s neediest
Local BuzzJust days before the pandemic closed down the state of Connecticut, First Church of Christ in Middletown approved a new outreach plan focusing in part...
06/04/2020 - Responding to the Scourge of Racism
Conference programming Justice and WitnessWe hope that you will engage the resources we recommend here and post them as you see fit on social media and other communication tools at your disposal.
06/02/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Scavenging for Fellowship and Connection
SpotlightPeace Dale Church Offers Virtual Youth Group Scavenger Hunt
06/02/2020 - Churches Partnering More in Service; Less in Worship
The Conference recently conducted a wide-ranging survey of churches, in which 260 churches participated. This is the fourth article in a series ...
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05/29/2020 - Survey: Moving Worship and Other Programming Online is Working Well for Many Churches
The Conference recently conducted a wide-ranging survey of churches, in which 260 churches participated. This is the second article in a series ...
05/28/2020 - NEWS8: Bloomfield churches pool resources to support families in need with backpack program
Local BuzzThe Bloomfield Congregational Church may not be able to hold services as usual during the pandemic, but it’s food programs are still going strong ...
05/28/2020 - Pilgrim Day Camp Will Not Open This Summer
For more than 50 years, Pilgrim Day Camp has operated on the Framingham, MA, campus of the Southern New England Conference. For the first time in it's history, the camp will not be held this summer due to COVID-19. Following is the letter announcing the camp's closure ...
05/27/2020 - The 2020 Youth Revival Project is online
Conference programming Leadership DevelopmentThe 2020 Youth Revival Project, an online series of videos released daily, began on Monday May 25 and continues through Friday May 29.
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05/26/2020 - Survey: Clergy are Tired, But Embracing Innovation
The Conference recently conducted a wide-ranging survey of churches, in which 260 churches participated. This is the second article in a series looking at the results, and focuses on how clergy are doing during this time. The first article looked at the financial ...
05/23/2020 - JOURNAL INQUIRER: Interview with Rev. Nina Barlow Schmid
Local BuzzThe First Congregational Church in South Windsor celebrated its 325th anniversary this past October. The original roadside chapel may not exist ...
05/22/2020 - Survey: Churches Talking About Money are on Firmest Financial Footing
By: Tiffany Vail - StewardshipA recent survey of churches indicates that the willingness of church leaders to be vocal and transparent about the church's needs is crucial in ...
05/21/2020 - Bridge Conference Ministers Speak Out On Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
Justice and WitnessA Message From the Bridge Conference Ministers of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ As followers of Jesus, who has...
05/20/2020 - SPOTLIGHT: Compassionate Care During Covid-19 Crisis
By: Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane - SpotlightFirst Church of Rowley Launches New Care Ministry and Women’s Support Group