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Have you ever renamed a church? I did. In 1988 I was called to serve as pastor of a church in suburban Omaha, NE. The congregation had struggled through a variety of challenges and morale was at low tide. We needed visibility in our community and a renewed enthusiasm for ministry. The annual discussion around the Yellow Page ad revived an old debate. One member complained, “Our name is too long, and boring!” When the church was established in 1980, it was tagged “The United Church of Christ of Millard.” Denomination and location. Typical, but not inspired. Before we spent money on a phone book ad, a new church sign, and a redesigned letterhead and newsletter, we needed to complete the conversation. I shared my suggestion in the December newsletter.
Greetings Friends,
I was going to tell you that I am a Christmas person. I remember a seminary classmate of mine making that claim in a Christmas letter some years back. Mike said that theologians call Christians “Easter people” – people of the Resurrection – but he considered himself a Christmas person. He rejoiced in the Christmas themes of peace and justice, saying that “the Spirit of Immanuel (God with us) is the greatest of the fruits of Christmas.”
I remember answering “YES!” when I read his words and they’ve stuck in my mind. And so I was going to tell you that I share that claim. But as I thought about it, I realized that I am really an Advent person. Advent is the season of the church year that begins four Sundays before Christmas. It’s a time of waiting, of preparation, of looking to the future. The scriptures for the season of Advent come from the prophets. They speak words of hope; anticipating the time when God’s reign will be upon us in its fullness. The word “Advent” means “coming” or “arrival” and it points to Christmas, the coming of God’s chosen one (Messiah) and the coming of Christ into our lives today. Advent ultimately looks forward to the end of time when Christ will return to announce the completion of God’s kingdom.
I think the reason I relate so strongly to Advent is that there is an impatience to the season. I often find myself looking forward to the possibilities of the future – dissatisfied with the world as it is. It is the promise of WHAT CAN BE that gives me hope and inspires me to work to make the vision a reality.
The times we find ourselves in as a congregation also call for a vision of God’s future. We are an Advent People! With hope in our hearts we make our plans for mission, education, and caring, becoming the church that God is calling us to be. We constantly need to keep this belief in the future before us as we carry out our ministry to the community so that Millard will know us to be a people with a vision . . . Advent United Church of Christ!
What happened next? Nothing! No-one noticed my suggestion. At the next Board meeting, we returned to the Yellow Page discussion, and someone asked the “name” question again. I sheepishly shared that I had offered a new name, but no-one read the article. I read it aloud, and was greeted with smiles and affirmation. “We like it!” A month later, the congregation voted, and we became “Advent United Church of Christ.” It was a branding that worked. A candle logo graced our sign. Our church finally had a “first” name – “Advent Family Camp,” “Advent Pumpkin Outing.” We chose a new name and turned our faces to the future.
I’ve been thinking about this Easter,/Christmas,/Advent business as I’ve made my way though meetings with various groups this past six months – General Synod, Exodus Camp, Central Pacific Conference Board of Directors and Ministry Teams, Fall Gatherings, search committees, congregations gathered in worship, the fall retreat for the West-West Region Conference Ministers, a Duke University Leadership event for 14 UCC Conference Ministers that have been in office less than 5 years. In all these settings, we have used time and energy to try to figure out who we are as followers of Jesus, as the United Church of Christ, as the world changes more and more rapidly each day.
I confess that I still identify myself as an Advent person, focusing on WHAT CAN BE, with hope, preparation, and waiting – both patient and impatient! The church is not what it once was in our culture. “Mainline Christianity” will never be the default again. We don’t know what is ahead, but we move into the future in confidence. We know we will find something new – something better – something more whole, and more holy – as we extent the extravagant welcome of Jesus to each person we meet. The incarnate love of God will grow in fullness as we follow Jesus On the Way.
The UCC Christmas Fund ~ Lou Wargo
Last year members of our United Church of Christ contributed almost $1.6 million to the annual Christmas Fund offering for Veterans of the Cross. That set a record for the total amount received in any year since the offering was first taken, Those gifts made it possible for the Pension Board’s Ministerial Assistance program to do the following:
- Provide some form of assistance to 1600 people in 2009
- Send Christmas checks totaling $270,000 to 900 persons 20 of whom were over 100 years old, the oldest being 107!
- Provide quarterly health premium supplementation to 295 families totaling $164,548 per quarter
- Make emergency grants totaling $56, 116 to 39 individuals and families during the first 7 months of 2009.
Your gifts to the Christmas Fund make it possible for the Pension Board to assist low income retired clergy and their families in ways which both honor their years of service in ministry while, at the same time, preserving their dignity. Your gifts to this year’s Christmas Fund offering will help this much needed and greatly appreciated ministry continue its caring and compassionate work in 2010.
As a recipient of a Christmas Fund grant said to one of the UCC’s Annuitant Visitors, “Please thank everyone who gave. We wouldn’t make it without them.” THANK YOU!
CPC Women’s Board Meeting Scheduled ~ Nancy Klingeman
Hello Everyone! I hope that you’ve hada good fall. Please put our Women’s Board Saturady, January 30th meeting on your 2010 calendar and plan to attend in person or via conference call. We will meet at the CPC Conference office at 10 a.m. followed by lunch together when we finish our business. Let me know if you have an agenda item that we need to discuss.
Until then, have some wonderful holidays!
Portland Area Clergy Cluster and Significant Other Christmas Party
When: Thursday, Dec. 17th - Noon to about 1:30
Where: Beavercreek UCC, 23345 S. Beavercreek Road, Beavercreek
Please Bring an Appetizer, Salad or Dessert to Share. If you'd like to bring Wine or Cider, that would be lovely. Soup will be Provided by Bunny Oliver.
Bring a Wrapped White Elephant Gift to Exchange.
(Absolutely for fun - not mandatory - and not to cause stress :)
** Date Change for Mid Hi Mid-Winter Retreat **
Mark Your Calendars for February 5th-7th at Camp Adams
The focus for this year’s Mid Hi Mid’Winter retreat at Camp Adams will be
"Our Circle of Friends."
Don't miss this exciting and fun gathering of mid-hi youth from the Central Pacific Conference.
Yes--you can bring friends!
Registration opens January 3 and closes Jan 30.
NO LATE REGISTRATIONS!
Watch for registration materials by email and snail mail soon.
A minimum of 25 registrants is required to hold the event. Don't wait--get yours in early!
Please Hold in Prayer . . .
Liz Oettinger, our pastor in Corvallis, OR was diagnosed with breast cancer in early October. Her course of treatment will last 8-9 months, first chemotherapy, then surgery, then radiation.
George Gunn is a member of our CPC Board of Directors, from Boise, ID. Early in November, George was told he had a malignant lump in his left lung. The biopsy identified it as a rare “spindle cell” cancer. George had surgery on Thurs, Dec. 10th and is now recovering at home.
Rich Osburn, retired pastor from our Forest Grove church, and his wife , Danna, are both recovering from broken bones (leg and neck, respectively).
Winter Family Camp at Pilgrim Cove in McCall – December 31st – January 3rd
Ring in 2010 at Winter Family Camp at Pilgrim Cove in McCall
December 31st - January 3rd
snow family building contest, sledding, ice skating, cross country skiing,
puzzle building and charades with hot cocoa!
$60 per day for family up to 4 - each additional person is $10 -
Or $35 single or $50 couple per day includes lodging and 3 meals
$5 for breakfast on Jan 3
Call Anne Moore, 388-3322 or email for registration and more details.
Scam Warning ~ Bruce Poinsette
Greetings,
A letter that appeared to be a government mailing was sent to Highland Christian Center. The envelope had an image that resembled the State of Oregon and the return address was as follows:
Personnel Concepts * Compliance Service Department
3200 East Guasti Road, Suite 300 * Ontario, CA 91761
The letter states that you must update your OR- O.S.H.A. poster and labor department postings. The firm offers a laminated composite poster $39.95 plus $5.95 shipping. This is a scam!
These postings are available from the State of Oregon. OR-O.S.H.A. has a free download and the remaining information can be acquired from the Bureau of Labor and Industries, Technical Assistance for Employers Program. This office is located at 800 N.E. Oregon Street, Suite 1045, Portland, Oregon, 97232
I suggest that if you are in need of state required postings contact the Bureau of Labor for their composite poster.
If you have any questions please call me at 503-789-6991 or e-mail at
Chuck Currie Visits the White House
Chuck Currie recently completed three years of interim ministry at Parkrose Community UCC in Portland, OR. Many of you know that Chuck has extensive skills in using both print and electronic media to build community and speak out against injustsice. Letters to the editor, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, texting, instant messaging, and podcasts, are all tools for ministry, and Chuck makes good use of all of them. You can read about his recent visit to the White House here:
http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2009/12/my-afternoon-at-the-white-house.html
Chuck is also the writer for the national UCC News blog:
http://community.ucc.org/ucc-news
Here is Chuck’s website:
http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/the_rev_chuck_currie/
From the Best Practices Revue at the Western CPC Fall Gathering
One of the delightful additions to the Western Central Pacific Conference Fall Gathering this October in Forest Grove was the “Best Practices Revue.” The good folks at Congregational UCC invited churches to crank up their creative juices to inspire delegates to excellence in ministry. There were only a few brave souls presenting, but the offerings were enthusiastically received. You might need to tack on the word “Annual!”
Pat Kerwin, a member at First Congregational UCC, Portland, OR shared his take on “best practices’ with the gathered congregation:
To my way of thinking, best practices, like charity, begin at home. With that view, I'd like to share a little bit about myself, my home environment, and an incident that happened recently.
If force to describe myself, I'd have to borrow the title of a song from a rather obscure Lerner and Loewe musical only a few people have heard of: My Fair Lady. I'm An Ordinary Man.
My neighbors don't see me that way. I'm anything but ordinary to them. They see me as unbelievable, audacious. On more than one occasion I've been told "You'renuts."
Where I live may have something to do with it. I don't live in the fancy part of town - to paraphraseMaxwellSmart "missed the Pearl District by that much." To be honest, it's one step above the street.But, as they say, be it ever so crumble, there's no place like home.
Myneighbors are pretty ragged, for themost part.. Good group of folks, but a bit battered by circumstances and poor life choices. Quite a numberstill practice their addictions. Some are masters of them.
When I'm home, I leave my door open, and anyone can visit atany time (except for when I'mwatching Jeopardy! There's a lot of pain that lives in my building - regret, sadness, self-loathing. Yet somehow, whenever someone comes to visit, they always leave feeling better.
I have no magic words, no waving of the hands and "Poof!" problem solved. I'm an ordinary man, not a miracle worker. They talk. I listen, quip, accept them at face value - even when I know better. Silently pray for them.
I make no secret about myself, my life and my lifestyle. No problem. They know I go to church. So what?
In August, I was assaulted in my room. One punch broke not only my glasses but an eye socket as well.
When my neighbors discovered I didn't punch him back, they thought I was nuts. When some of them wanted to "teach him a lesson", answer violence with violence, I begged them not to. They stared at me in disbelief, but no one laid a finger on him. When I told them I had already forgiven the person, they were amazed at my audacity and asked "Why?"
"That you do to the least of my children, you do to me."
My neighbors respect that.
Best practices, like charity, begin at home.
WEB OPORTUNITIES YOU MAY BE MISSING OUT ON NOW! ~ Jim Freeman
At a recent Central Pacific Local Churches Task Force meeting, I took on this article for the Central Pacific Conference news. I already knew a lot about the subject from working with several of the new on-line programs for the last year and one half, but decided I had better do a little more research before I started writing the requested article. All of those I mention are UCC sites started by our national church staff.