06/09/2021 - SPOTLIGHT: Justice Partners

By: Andrew Page - Justice and Witness Spotlight

Church of Christ in Norfolk Works With Redeemer's AME Zion Church to Combat Racism

06/09/2021 - Conference Launches Phillis Wheatley Fund

By: Tiffany Vail - Conference programming

SNEUCC has launched the Phillis Wheatley Fund for Innovation to support creative and innovative programming.

06/09/2021 - Go Tell it On The Mountain: Love Comes First at First Congregational Church of Stratford

By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and Vitality Church History and Identity

Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference, speaks with Rev. Ed Rawls and Rev. Meg Williams at First ...

06/08/2021 - "Rooted in Love" Stewardship Theme Materials Now Available

Stewardship

New stewardship materials are now available from UCC Resources to help congregations tell their story while making a request for financial support. ...

06/07/2021 - Faith Formation & Youth Ministry Resources at Your Fingertips

By: Debbie Gline Allen - Faith Formation and Christian Education

Making disciples of Jesus through best practices and resources.

06/04/2021 - One-Day Camp Event at Irons Homestead

By: Kristin Putney - Faith Formation and Christian Education Outdoor Ministries

Three RI Churches plan an Outdoor Faith and Outdoor Fun One-day Camp Event at Irons Homestead!

06/02/2021 - Go Tell it On The Mountain: Out of The Box Thinking at North Stamford Community Church

By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and Vitality Church History and Identity

Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference, speaks with Rev. Jacki Gilchrist in his latest "Go Tell ...

06/02/2021 - New Clergy Affinity Group to Encourage Play

Leadership Development

Brother Luke Ditewig Registration is now open for four affinity groups for clergy that are launching this month, including one that encourages play. Touched by Jesus: Playing with Prayer encourages clergy to "come get out of your often overly-serious and ...

05/25/2021 - SPOTLIGHT: Creation and Community

By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and Vitality Environment Spotlight

Rocky Hill (CT) Congregational Church Celebrates Creation and Creates Partnerships

05/24/2021 - The Parish Paper announces campaign to mobilize church leaders to increase number of COVID vaccinations

By: The Parish Paper

Mobilize Vaccine Turnout Oneonta, NY. May 24, 2021 The Parish Paper has announced a campaign to mobilize clergy and other church leaders ...

05/20/2021 - Holy Joe's Cafe: 15 Years and Growing

Holy Joe's Cafe, a non-profit supporting deployed military chaplains and formerly based out of First Congregational Church of Wallingford, celebrates 15 years and has expanded its impact in those years.

05/20/2021 - THE RECORDER: Ashfield church earns $50K grant for relationship building

Local Buzz

The First Congregational Church of Ashfield on Main Street has received a $50,000 grant from the Southern New England United Church of Christ (UCC) ...

05/19/2021 - Strengthen the Church Offering to Benefit Youth, Outdoor and Transformational Ministries

Eighty percent of this year's Strengthen the Church offering, traditionally taken this Sunday - Pentecost Sunday - will benefit Faith Formation and ...

05/19/2021 - Go Tell it On The Mountain: United Congregational Church of Tolland (CT) Explores Ways to Address Mental Health Issues

By: Andrew Page - Church History and Identity Justice and Witness

Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference, speaks with Rev. Dr. Jeff Gallagher in his latest "Go ...

05/13/2021 - Alex Shea Will Called to Northeast ACM Post

Conference staff

Rev. Alex Shea Will, the Associate Pastor of South Church in Andover, MA, for the past six years, has been called to serve as the Area Conference Minister for the Northeast Region - comprising the Metropolitan Boston and Northeast Associations - beginning Aug. 2. ...

05/12/2021 - ECM Announces Conference Offices to Remain Shut Through Labor Day

Conference staff

The Rev. Darrell Goodwin has announced that the Conference offices in Framingham, MA and Hartford, CT, will remain closed at least through Labor Day.

05/11/2021 - 2nd Annual Meeting Sees New Conference Moving Forward

By: Tiffany Vail - Annual Meeting

Virtual Conference Choir More than 450 people attended the Second Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference online on May 8 for a...

05/11/2021 - Go Tell it On The Mountain: Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury Looks To Re-Focus

By: Andrew Page - Church History and Identity Justice and Witness

Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference, speaks with Rev. Tom O'Brien in his second "Go Tell it On...

05/10/2021 - Pentecost Worship Service Available for Download

A virtual Pentecost Worship service that churches are invited to use in whole or in part on May 23 or later is now available for download.

05/10/2021 - Summer Mission Work Meets Youth @ Synod

By: Deborah Kirk - Faith Formation and Christian Education

When the pandemic restricted plans for summer travel for mission work, Rev. Jennie Valentine of the Barnstable Association shifted gears and began to organize a local service-learning option that also includes a connection to the UCC General Synod.

05/10/2021 - Youth Express Theology In Six Words

By: Deborah Kirk - Faith Formation and Christian Education

Can you define your faith in six words? SNEUCC Confirmation Students rose to the challenge at the recent Confirmation Enrichment program sponsored the Faith Formation Team. The fourth in a series called Nurturing Faith, this session focused on United Church of Christ ...

05/06/2021 - Conference Calls First Minister for Environmental & Economic Justice; Announces Other Staffing Changes & Additions

By: Tiffany Vail - Conference staff

The SNEUCC has called its first Minister for Environmental and Economic Justice: Ms. Emma Brewer-Wallin

05/05/2021 - Nine Churches Receiving Faith In Our Future Together Grants in May

By: Tiffany Vail - Church Growth and Vitality Justice and Witness

The Southern New England Conference will be awarding substantial recoverable grants to nine churches in May, to help them grow in spite of - and in ...

05/04/2021 - New Center for Transformational Leadership Launches

At this Saturday's Annual Meeting, the worship offering will be dedicated to supporting a completely new Southern New England Conference initiative ...

04/27/2021 - Greenfield Seminarian Receives Preaching Award

Local Buzz

Julie Britton, a member of Second Congregational Church, UCC Greenfield, MA and a member in discernment with the Franklin Association, has received the 2021 G. Campbell Morgan Aware for Excellence in Preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary

04/27/2021 - May 8 Annual Meeting to Focus on Justice

Annual Meeting

The Second Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 8, is shaping up to be a dynamic day focused on how our new Conference is living into justice commitments

04/23/2021 - Go Tell it On The Mountain: New London Church Has Unique Outreach Partnership

By: Andrew Page - Church History and Identity Justice and Witness

Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference, interviewed Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals on Wednesday. It was ...

04/21/2021 - FEMA to Help Pay Funeral Costs for COVID-19-Related Deaths

UPDATE - April 21, 2021: Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, ...

04/19/2021 - Your Church Pictures Wanted for Pentecost Worship

The Southern New England Conference staff is preparing a virtual Pentecost Worship service for churches to use on May 23 - and they'd like to add pictures from your church to the video. "What does it look like to be the church now? Can you show evidence of God's spirit...

04/15/2021 - Don't Back Down Says Goodwin After Racist Zoombombers Disrupt Training

Justice and Witness

After racist Zoombombers disrupted an anti-racism Conference staff training session on Thursday, Executive Conference Minister The Rev. Darrell ...

04/14/2021 - SPOTLIGHT: Witness

By: Andrew Page - Justice and Witness Spotlight

Pilgrim Church in Sherborn partners with AME church to examine racial experiences

04/14/2021 - Rev. Goodwin: Our Partnerships Can Change the Terrain of Southern New England

In a video released Monday, the Rev. Darrell Goodwin talked about the partnerships he has been forming over the last few months with regional business...

04/08/2021 - US Seeks Equity in Employment for People with Disabilities from Underserved Communities

The movement for disabilities justice touches every aspect of our church and society, benefiting everyone when the wisdom, gifts and witness of people...

04/07/2021 - Eastertide Service Available for Download

A virtual worship service designed for use on April 11, "A Simple Service of Testimony and Song in Celebration of the Resurrection," is now available for download.  Videos of the full service, and the various elements, can be downloaded. The service is led by members ...

04/06/2021 - Youth @ Synod Serves as a Stepping Stone to Leadership

By: Deborah Kirk - General Synod

This summer the United Church of Christ will host a virtual General Synod gathering on July 11-18. Delegates from all over the country will convene ...

03/31/2021 - Holy Week Message; Good Friday Experience

Holy Week

In a Holy Week message released on Monday, Executive Conference Minister the Rev. Darrell Goodwin reminded pastoral leaders that God is already well pleased with them. "Before you figured out how to get palms to people, before you figured out how to have the most ...

03/29/2021 - Charlie Kuchenbrod to Transition to Consultant Role

Conference staff

Charlie Kuchenbrod, who has served the Southern New England Conference and prior to that the historic Connecticut Conference for nearly 19 ...

03/25/2021 - Advocate Now to End the Torturous Practice of Solitary Confinement in CT Prisons

By: Allie Perry - Justice and Witness

Support Senate Bill #1059 by the Rev. Allie Perry, allie.perry@gmail.com In May 2019 at the historic Connecticut Conference’s last Annual Meeting, we...

03/24/2021 - Christian Nationalism — an Oxymoron — is Nonetheless Powerful, Panelists Warn

Justice and Witness

By Hans Holznagel, United Church News Christian nationalism is false. It is dangerous. And it has more influence in U.S. systems of power than many ...

03/24/2021 - Justice News: Ever Flowing Streams

Conference programming

Do you have a heart for justice, or simply want to know what is going on? We have a newsletter for you! The Southern New England Conference re-launches its Ever Flowing Streams e-newsletter this week. The monthly publication will feature news, reflections, and event ...

03/24/2021 - Participants Invited for Annual Meeting Virtual Choir, Speakouts

Annual Meeting

The Southern New England Conference's second online Annual Meeting will be held on May 8, and people are being invited to act now in order to ...

03/24/2021 - Silver Lake Welcomes a New Retreat and Finance Manager

Conference staff Outdoor Ministries

Ashley Nichols began as Retreat and Finance Manager on Thursday, March 18. In this role, she will work with rental groups to create retreat ...

03/24/2021 - Super Saturdays Bring Hundreds Together; Sermon Videos Posted

Nearly 450 people attended one or both Super Saturdays online over the last few two weekends.  More than 175 Southern New England Conference churches ...

03/23/2021 - Work and Family Mobility Act

Justice and Witness

by Bridget Spann Community Outreach Organizer  First Congregational Church of Williamstown, MA In my role as community outreach organizer at First Congregational Church Williamstown, I work with six different immigrant families to connect them with community resources ...

03/19/2021 - Good Friday Service Available to Churches

Justice and Witness

A Good Friday service, Crucifixion and Black Death: A Seven Last Words Service of Lament, is now available for churches to download and use. It will also be shown on the Southern New England Conference Facebook page at 3 PM on Good Friday. The Seven Last Words service ...

03/17/2021 - Lucio Perez Leaves Amherst Church After 3 ½ years

Justice and Witness

Reprinted from UCC.org news with permission.

03/17/2021 - We Are Committed to Confronting Anti-Asian Bias

Justice and Witness

The following is a statement from The Rev. James D. Ross II, Minister for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Watch the video here, or watch it on Facebook to view it with captions As investigations continue, we mourn the deaths of the eight people killed in a shooting ...

03/16/2021 - Rev. Goodwin: My Faith Compels Me to Love

Justice and Witness

The Rev. Goodwin speaks out in response to a statement issued by the Vatican

03/10/2021 - SPOTLIGHT: 3-Way Worship

By: Andrew Page - Spotlight

Second Congregational Church of Coventry (CT) finds multiple ways to hold worship

03/10/2021 - Rev. Dr. Price Urges: #ChooseToChallenge

Justice and Witness

In a video released on Monday - International Women's Day - The Rev. Dr. Audrey Price urged everyone to  #ChooseToChallenge. The Rev. Dr. Price, Executive Minister for Strategic Operations, said the attention on the achievement of women reminds her of the story of the ...