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
News
News
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.
07/13/2020 - '3 Good Things' Webinar First in Resilience Series
By: Deborah Ringen - Conference programming Disaster ReliefDr. Bryan Sexton, Associate Professor and Director of Duke Center for Healthcare Safety & Quality, Duke University Health System, spoke on July 7th at the first in a series of webinars hosted by the SNEUCC Health and Wellness Team and the Disaster Resource and Response ...
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 - Series Supports Resilience, Well Being
By: Jessica McArdle Deborah Ringen - Conference programming Disaster Relief Justice and Witnessby Rev. Dr. Jessica McArdle and Deborah Ringen MSN, RN-BC Faith Community Nurse "The hardest about being a pastor today is NOT the long hours, the substantial and unrequited grief, issues on justice that demand our attention, eclectic responsibilities, and grave ...
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
05/20/2020 - A Book Club for Stewardship Enthusiasts!
Conference programming StewardshipHearing a young attorney speak of the faith-based reasons for which he had just made a substantial monetary gift to a community youth center, Clif Christopher asked the speaker if he would consider making a similar contribution to the congregation of which he was an ...
05/19/2020 - Churches Advised Not to Resume In-Person Worship Despite New MA Guidelines
By: Tiffany VailThe Bridge Conference Ministers are maintaining their position that Conference churches should hold off on resuming in-person worship until at least ...
05/18/2020 - All-Conference Online Gathering to be Held in September
Annual MeetingThe Southern New England Conference will hold an All-Conference Gathering - online - on Saturday, Sept. 26. Clergy, delegates, and all those ...
05/15/2020 - Tax Laws and Giving to Your Church
By: David Cleaver-Bartholomew - StewardshipRecent tax law changes provide people an opportunity to make tax-free charitable contributions to your church from your IRA. This may be of special interest to those who must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) annually from a traditional IRA.* The tax law now ...
05/08/2020 - Rev. Timothy Haut: Celebrating 40 Years in Deep River
Church Growth and Vitality Church History and IdentityIn March, the Rev. Timothy Haut celebrated 40 years serving as pastor of the First Congregational Church of Deep River, Connecticut.
05/05/2020 - SPOTLIGHT - Masks Flying Off The Doors
By: Andrew Page - SpotlightUnited Church of Bernardston, MA, Mask Making Ministry Offers Masks For the Taking
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05/05/2020 - Interim Regional Minister Comes Onboard - Remotely
Conference staffThe Rev. Holly MillerShank began serving this week as the Interim Associate Conference Minister for the Metropolitan Boston and Northeast Associations - albeit, from her current home in Cleveland, Ohio. "Working remotely is par for the course for our little family," ...
05/05/2020 - Paycheck Protection Program Loans and Recordkeeping
Conference staff Disaster ReliefNew! Best Practices and Forgiveness Information and Webinar On March 31, the application for the CARES ACT, Payroll Protection Program was posted on ...
05/04/2020 - REPUBLICAN AMERICAN: Local woman “Zoomed” into Ordination
Local BuzzKaeley McEvoy was ordained via Zoom in a service that included art, scripture, music, sermon message, and even a virtual laying on of the hands.
05/02/2020 - FOX8: Pastor memorializes each of the thousands of COVID-19 victims in his state with a white flag
Local BuzzA pastor in Connecticut is planting white flags on his church’s property for each person who has died from COVID-19 in the state. Patrick Collins of ...
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05/01/2020 - Important Information About Summer at Silver Lake
Outdoor MinistriesThe Bridge Conference Ministers and the Silver Lake Staff announced on May 1 that they have made the decision to cancel in-person summer camp ministry for 2020. Please read and/or watch the announcement below: Dear Friends, At Silver Lake, we teach our conferees to ...
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05/01/2020 - Strengthen the Church Offering Aimed at Nurturing Disciples
Faith Formation and Christian Education Outdoor Ministries StewardshipThe Southern New England Conference is asking churches to support ministries that strive to nurture discipleship through the upcoming Strengthen the ...
04/29/2020 - SPOTLIGHT - Mission Trip Goes Virtual
By: Andrew Page - SpotlightGlastonbury First Youth Engage in Virtual Service Program As Alternative To Planned Trip
04/27/2020 - Conference Ministers Speak Out on Racial Disparity of COVID-19 Impact
Justice and WitnessThis pandemic has once again demonstrated that there is no equality in America
04/27/2020 - Edwards House Food Put to Good Use
By: Tiffany Vail - Justice and WitnessThe freezers at Edwards House Meeting & Retreat Center were full of food when the Coronavirus hit Massachusetts, forcing the facility - part of the Southern New England Conference's Framingham property - to stop hosting gatherings. But thanks to the Edwards House ...
04/27/2020 - Small Church Makes Big Effort on RIP Medical Debt
By: Andrew Page - Church Growth and VitalityIn West Woodstock, Connecticut, a small village in the town of Woodstock in the northeast corner of the state is the equally small church, the Church of the Good Shepherd. Their pastor, The Rev. Alice O'Donovan, says the average attendance in worship is between 20-25 ...
04/24/2020 - Conference, Many Churches, Receive Paycheck Protection Loans
By: Tiffany Vail - Conference budgetThe Southern New England Conference has received a $718,000 loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which will be forgivable if it is ...
04/23/2020 - Clergy in Need Urged to Seek Aid
The Bridge Conference Ministers are urging any authorized ministers in the Conference who find themselves in need of assistance to reach out to one of the ministerial aid associations in the region. "We are now 2 months into this pandemic and many of us have been in ...
04/23/2020 - Conference Ministers Ask Churches to Suspend Public Worship Through May
In the following letter, the Bridge Conference Ministers are urging churches to continue to suspend in-person worship through at least May 31st. We ...