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| May 2007 |
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Welcome!
As you seek to help your congregation become more vital, I hope that this Common Cloth newsletter will provide resources and perspectives that enable your church to go deeper in faith and multiply mission. May your congregation by an inspiration to the community around you and blessing from God.
Create Events That Link You to the Neighborhood |
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A growing number of congregations are discovering that the more they understand the community around them, the more they are able to create events that members can invite friends to.
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Quote of the Month |
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"Christian love is about hearing people's individual stories and offering a custom response. Out of personal experiences, we are motivated to create just social systems."
Paul Nixon, Healing Spiritual Amnesia
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Book of the Month |
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Unbinding the Gospel is a Lily study of evangelism in Mainline Protestant churches. In her study, Martha Grace Reese tells of how most Mainline churches do not practice evangelism, but those that do, find they can reach people in powerful new ways. There are some practical discussion questions and exercises for each chapter.
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New Church Start Baby! |
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Congratulations to Matt and Liz Boulton, pastors of Hope Church, on the birth of their daughter, Margaret Beatrice Boulton, who will be nicknamed "Maggie Bee". All are doing well.
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Gay Pride Parade |
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Don't forget the Gay Pride march in Boston is June 9th at City Hall Plaza. Go to BostonPride.org for all the details.
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National Funding |
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Congratulations to the Hispanic Community Church, UCC, of Lowell, and the Wollaston Congregational Church, UCC, of Quincy, for receiving grants from our national UCC office.
The Lowell church is a new church start that is reaching first generation Hispanics and Wollaston is a turnaround congregation that has tripled its worship attendance in the past three years.
photo: The Hispanic Community Church, UCC in Lowell
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Two Types of Haystack Awards |
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For the first time, there will be Haystack Awards given out at our Annual Meeting for mission and social justice and for evangelism.
Since the original gathering under a haystack was to plan both for mission and for spreading the gospel, two awards will be given this year.
Please join us at the Annual Meeting on June 22nd to congratulate the recipients.
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Missionary Words |
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"In Lesotho, there are plenty of sheep and shepherds, so I should not have been surprised to find that a Mosotho would give me a different perspective." - Mark Behle in "Masitise Times"
Read new insights from our missionary Mark Behle.
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Strengthen the Church |
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In this, the United Church of Christ's 50th Anniversary year, celebrate a SEASON OF STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH!
Traditionally the Strengthen the Church offering is received on Pentecost Sunday. This year churches are encouraged to kick off a "Season of Strengthen the Church" on Pentecost, May 27, and receive the offering as an anniversary gift on Sunday, June 24.
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It's Not Too Late! |
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It's not too late to send in your church's estimate of giving to Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) Basic Support!
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Paul Nickerson
The Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ
This newsletter made possible by contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support & Fellowship Dues.
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